Centene CEO Sarah London says Medicaid patients are the last people to benefit from new health care innovation. She wants artificial intelligence to change that.
London spoke on Monday at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. She said the latest breakthroughs in health care do not reach the sickest people. Instead, they go to the deepest pockets.
Why Medicaid Patients Miss Out on Health Care Innovation
London explained the reason in plain terms. Most of the venture money in health care goes where the money is. And the money is not in Medicaid.
"Most of the venture money in health care goes into where the money is, and the money isn't in Medicaid. That means that underserved communities don't actually benefit from innovation first. Sometimes they never do." — Sarah London, via Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit
This means companies building new health tools follow the profit. Medicaid, which serves low-income people, does not attract that same investment. As a result, the communities that need help the most are often the last to get it.
What Centene Is and Who It Serves
Centene is a $33 billion company based in St. Louis. It is built around these very communities. The company runs Medicaid plans in 29 states. It also sells individual marketplace plans and Medicare Advantage.
London said Centene's 26 million members are among the poor. She is a mainstay of Fortune's Most Powerful Women list and the youngest CEO in the Fortune 500.
- Centene runs Medicaid plans in 29 states
- The company serves 26 million members
- It also sells individual marketplace plans and Medicare Advantage
- Centene is valued at $33 billion and based in St. Louis
How AI Fits Into London's Plan
London wants AI to change the way innovation reaches Medicaid patients. The idea is to use AI to bring better health care tools to underserved communities — the people who usually get them last, or never.
Her point is simple. If the system keeps following the money, Medicaid patients stay at the back of the line. AI, in her view, can help close that gap.
Our Take: The Money Problem Is Real, but AI Is Not a Magic Fix
In our view, London is naming a real problem. Health care innovation follows money. Medicaid does not have much of it. So the people who need the best care often get the oldest tools. That is not a small issue — it is the core of how unequal health care works.
To put it plainly, saying AI will fix this is easier than doing it. AI tools cost money to build and run. If the funding still goes where the profits are, Medicaid patients may still wait. The test for Centene is not the speech. It is whether AI actually reaches its 26 million members in a way they can feel.
What this means for readers: if you or your family rely on Medicaid, watch what Centene does next. The promise is on the table. The results are what matter.
