Former Attorney General Chris Koster is headed back to the private sector.
The Democrat, who lost to Republican Eric Greitens in last year's gubernatorial race, is joining Centene as a senior vice president for corporate services. Centene is a Clayton-based health care company that’s become increasingly involved in managing Medicaid services in Missouri and throughout the country.
"I am honored to join a team of individuals who every day work to provide high-quality health care to vulnerable populations across the United States," Koster said in a statement. "In many ways, this opportunity provides the continuation of the mission I have pursued for the past decade."
Koster spent eight years as attorney general, four years as a state senator and a decade as Cass County’s prosecutor. He also worked as a private practice attorney at Blackwell Sanders in the 1990s and at the law firm of Tim Dollar while he served in the Missouri Senate.
According to a news release, Koster will report to Michael F. Neidorff, Centene chairman, president and CEO, and “will assist in business-related issues, outside of government relations, for Centene's locally-based health plans across the country.”
"I look forward to bringing Mr. Koster on board to build upon our diverse breadth of expertise and leadership on our senior team," Neidorff said in a statement. "Mr. Koster brings a unique perspective to our business, which will help us continue to drive long-term growth, and most importantly, deliver better health outcomes for our members at lower costs for our state partners."
After he voted for major Medicaid cuts in 2005 as a Republican senator, Koster joined Democrats in calling for an expansion to the program. Koster left the Republican Party in 2007, contending the GOP drifted too far to the right on a number of issues.
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