Centene Corp. on Tuesday announced plans to build a claims processing center in Ferguson, Missouri.
The move will create 150 to 200 full-time jobs, which will come with health care, dental and vision insurance.
The facility will process claims from Centene’s Missouri-based Home State Health Plan and overflow from its other health plans across the country.
Centene officials said a project similar to this one normally takes up to 18 months to complete, but that the Ferguson center would be expedited.
The company is looking for a temporary site for training and development. Applications for jobs will be taken before the end of the year.
“This is the right thing to do for the community, state and our shareholders,” Centene CEO and Chairman Michael Neidorff said in a statement. “It is time for action not talk.”
Ferguson has seen unrest, including vandalism and looting, since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot by police officer Darren Wilson Aug. 9.
Jobs for North County residents have become a central issue, as African-American unemployment in the region, particularly for young people, is more prevalent than white unemployment.
Centene Corp. reported that its second-quarter net earnings rose 23 percent to $48.1 million compared with last year’s quarter as revenue grew 54 percent.
