WebMD Health (WBMD)

USE GOOD JUDGMENT – DON’T IGNORE YOUR INSTINCTS

 

 

The use of the funds or assets of the Companies for any unlawful or unethical purpose, including any political or commercial bribery, is prohibited. In addition, no person may use his or her position in the Companies or any funds or assets of the Companies (including confidential information of the Companies) for his or her personal gain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If an employee receives a gift that would not be permitted by the above guidelines, it must be reported to the employee’s supervisor. We may ask the employee to return the gift or, if return of the gift is not practical, it may be required to be given to the Companies for charitable disposition or such other

 

disposition as may be appropriate. Please note that it is not our desire for our employees to appear unfriendly or unsociable. However, it is our policy to avoid any actions that may throw doubt on the integrity or motivation of our employees or the Companies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We expect our employees to be free from any influence that is inconsistent with their obligations to the Companies. There are many types of situations that may result in an employee having a conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest with the Companies. Having a conflict of interest does not necessarily mean you have done something improper — however, the failure to disclose the conflict of interest is a violation of this Code of Conduct.

 

Because there are many different types of conflicts of interest, there are also many different ways they can be resolved. For example, if a conflict arises because a family member of an employee takes a job with one of our customers, we can take steps to make sure that the family member is not in a decision-making position with respect to transactions with that customer. However, those steps cannot be taken unless prompt and complete disclosure has been made. Disclosure should be made to the Compliance Officer or the appropriate General Counsel.

 

 

We expect our employees, in their work for the Companies, to act at all times in the best interests of the Companies. Accordingly, employees should remain free from obligations to, or relationships with, any person or company with whom we do business or compete that could interfere with that. In addition, as described above, it is also the duty of employees not to utilize their position with the Companies for personal advantage or gain.

 

The rights of our employees will be respected in the conduct of their personal affairs and investments, provided that such conduct does not adversely reflect upon the Companies or conflict with their interests. Please note that any employee invited to join a corporate board of directors (whether for a public or private corporation) must obtain the approval of the appropriate General Counsel prior to accepting such position.

 

Please note that this Conflicts of Interest Policy is directed only to interests of a business or financial nature. It is not intended to cover an employee’s own political, civic or charitable activities, or individual participation in professional organizations. However, your supervisor’s approval should be secured in advance if there is a possibility that such outside activities might interfere with the normal duties and responsibilities of your job or could create the appearance of a conflict of interest.

 

 

While it is not possible to describe all situations and conditions that might involve a conflict of interest, the following examples indicate areas where conflicts may arise:

 

 

 

 

 

 

a conflict of interest may be present, unless the Chief Executive Officers of each of HLTH and WebMD have made a decision to forego the opportunity (after seeking approval of the applicable Board of Directors if needed).

 

The above examples are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of possible conflicts. In addition, there are other situations which, while not clear-cut conflicts of interest, may be inconsistent with the high standards of business ethics that our employees are expected to follow. As noted above, you should disclose any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest to the appropriate General Counsel or to the Compliance Officer.

 

 

It is our policy that all filings made by HLTH or WebMD with the Securities and Exchange Commission and all other public communications made by the Companies comply with applicable disclosure laws and regulations and NASDAQ Stock Market listing requirements, including those relating to accuracy, completeness and timeliness. The Senior Financial Officers and the Chief Executive Officer of each of HLTH and WebMD have direct responsibility for compliance with this policy by the respective companies. Certain members of the Legal, Finance and Investor Relations Departments of the Companies have job responsibilities specifically related to those disclosure requirements and work closely with the applicable Senior Financial Officers and the Chief Executive Officers to assist them in meeting their responsibilities. In addition, all employees are expected to support these efforts, including by providing prompt and accurate answers to inquiries from these officers and employees relating to disclosure requirements, and are required to act in accordance with the following policies:

 

 

 

 

 

 

To ensure that records accurately and fairly represent all business transactions:

 

 

If an employee becomes aware of any improper accounting or financial reporting practice or any improperly recorded or documented transaction, he or she should report the matter immediately to the appropriate Chief Financial Officer or General Counsel, or to the Compliance Officer or to one of the senior officers in our Human Resources Department. See also Section III.B.2 below, for information about reporting anonymously through our Ethics and Compliance Hotline.

 

 

It is our policy to cooperate with government investigations involving any of the Companies. However, the Companies should have the opportunity to be adequately represented in such investigations by their own legal counsel. Accordingly, if employees obtain information that would lead them to believe that a government investigation or inquiry is underway, this information should be communicated immediately to the Legal Department. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell when a routine government audit or inspection graduates into a government investigation. We must rely on the common sense and alertness of all of our employees for making this important determination. If in doubt, employees should consult with the Legal Department.

 

Appropriate handling of government investigations is very important for the Companies, their management, and for all employees. Many federal laws regulating the conduct of our business (including antitrust, securities, privacy, OSHA, environmental, tax, and financial laws) contain civil and criminal penalties. The criminal penalties may apply to the corporation and to those individuals within a company who actually took the actions that violated the law or failed to take actions that resulted in a violation of the law. In some government investigations, the Companies’ lawyers can protect the interest of both the Companies and their employees. In some cases, there may be a conflict of interest between the Companies and individual employees, and individual employees may need their own legal counsel.

 

Employees should never, under any circumstances:

 

 

The law guarantees all of us a right to be represented by legal counsel during any investigation or inquiry by any government agency. In view of the extremely technical nature of these government investigations, we feel that the Companies should be represented and that all of our employees should be made aware of the opportunity for such representation. This applies any time any government investigator wants to ask questions about individual employee activities. Employees also have this right if the questions are asked off company property — such as at your home during the evening. There is no reason any individual should not be allowed sufficient time to consult with legal counsel before answering questions from governmental investigators that may subject that employee to individual criminal or civil liability.

 

If a government inquiry arises through the issuance of a written subpoena or written request for information (such as a Civil Investigative Demand), such request should immediately, before any action is taken or promised, be submitted to our Legal Department.

 

 

 

Many laws and regulations apply to us and our businesses. Responsibility for compliance with law is part of everyone’s job description. This section of the Code of Conduct is intended to highlight some of the legal issues that confront us. Many of the laws applicable to our business are complex and evolving. We do not expect our employees to be experts on these laws — but we do expect you to:

 

 

The remainder of this section discusses some specific laws that apply to some or all of our businesses.

 

2.  Privacy Laws.  In the course of our business, we may come into the possession of individually identifiable health information or other confidential information of individuals. This is an area that is highly regulated, with evolving legal standards that place various obligations on us and our employees regarding maintenance of the confidentiality of such information.

 

 

Whenever a question arises as to the application of privacy laws or regulations, employees should seek advice from our Chief Privacy Officer or other attorneys in the Legal Department and be guided by the advice received.

 

3.  Antitrust Laws.  The objective of the antitrust laws and other laws governing competition is to promote vigorous competition by prohibiting competitors from sharing certain information or working together in certain ways that reduce competition. Our policy is that all personnel comply with all applicable antitrust laws and other laws governing competition. Employees should consult with the Legal Department whenever any question arises as to the possible application of the laws governing competition and be guided by the advice received.

 

You should be aware that serious legal consequences, including in some cases criminal fines and penalties, may result from agreements or understandings with competitors, including any such agreements:

 

 

Certain other types of communications with competitors and certain ways of working together with competitors are permitted under the antitrust laws, but you should consult with a member of the Legal Department before any meetings or discussions with competitors and should report back to the Legal Department on the substance of any meetings or discussions that are held. An example of the type of action that generally is permitted, under Legal Department supervision, is participation by appropriate employees as our representatives in industry associations or trade groups.

 

4.  Anti-Kickback Laws.  In the United States, there are federal and state healthcare laws called Anti-Kickback Laws that prohibit the offering of anything of value to a person that is intended to influence that person to recommend or purchase a healthcare product or service that may be reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid or state healthcare benefit programs. This is to ensure that a healthcare provider’s decision about a choice of treatment or product for his or her patient not be influenced by motives of personal gain or enrichment. This law may apply to some of our businesses, either directly or through our relationships with customers, suppliers or other business partners. It is our policy to cooperate with our customers in their efforts to comply with law. Whenever a question arises as to the application of healthcare laws or regulations and whenever a customer, supplier or other business partner seeks our assistance in their compliance efforts, employees should seek advice from the attorneys in the Legal Department and be guided by the advice received.

 

5.  Other Healthcare Laws.  There are various other healthcare laws that may apply to our businesses, either directly or through our relationships with customers. These laws cover areas that include:

 

 

It is our policy to cooperate with our customers, suppliers and other business partners in their efforts to comply with law. Whenever a question arises as to the application of healthcare laws or regulations and whenever a customer, supplier or other business partner seeks our assistance in their compliance efforts, employees should seek advice from the attorneys in the Legal Department and be guided by the advice received.

 

 

Proprietary information developed or acquired by the Companies and not freely available to others is a valuable asset that must be protected against theft or inadvertent loss. Improper disclosure could destroy the value of such information to us and substantially weaken our competitive position.

 

Various types of proprietary information include trade secrets, as well as other technical, financial, and business information, which we either wish to keep confidential or are under an obligation to keep confidential. For example, such proprietary information may concern products or services developed or being developed by us, research results, cost data, marketing strategies, financial budgets, and long range plans. All such information, at the time of development or acquisition, should be clearly identified and marked “Confidential” and the information and any copies (whether physical or electronic) should be managed and kept in a manner designed to protect them from accidental or unauthorized disclosure.

 

For protection of proprietary information, we necessarily rely primarily on the loyalty, integrity, good faith, and alertness of our employees. The understanding of this relationship is confirmed by requesting execution of an agreement containing non-disclosure obligations and other provisions designed to protect our proprietary information. Upon leaving the Companies, the obligation to safeguard our proprietary information continues.

 

The disclosure of our proprietary information to persons outside the Companies must be limited to those who have a strict “need-to-know”; that is, the Companies’ need for the outside parties to know. Unless the Legal Department has specifically authorized making an exception, no disclosure of proprietary information may be made until the outside party has signed a written Confidentiality Agreement or other similar written agreement, in a form approved by the Legal Department, that imposes an obligation on the outside party neither to disclose nor use the information in an unauthorized manner.

 

Even within the Companies, the disclosure of proprietary information should be limited to those employees who have a need for the information in order to fully perform their jobs.

 

The Legal Department is available to assist employees in the legal aspects of protecting our proprietary information.

 

 

The Companies recognize that, in order for political systems to function properly, participation by citizens in civic and political affairs is a necessary and desirable undertaking. In this regard, it is our policy to encourage employees to participate actively in the political process, to be informed on public issues and on the positions and qualifications of public officials and candidates for public office, and to support, through personal financial and other assistance, candidates, and parties of their choice. It is our policy to comply fully with applicable laws regulating corporate political activities.

 

In the United States, the Companies may, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law, establish voluntary political action committees to which employees may contribute and which are independent of any political party, organization, or candidate. Contributions may be made from these committees to federal, state, and local candidates as permitted by federal and state law.

 

Employees’ contributions to such committees will at all times be absolutely voluntary. Participation or non-participation will have no effect on the employment, promotion, or compensation of any employee. Any employee who feels pressured to contribute to any political fund, against his/her wishes, is urged to report the facts to the Compliance Officer, to the appropriate General Counsel, to the Chief Financial Officer or to one of the senior officers in our Human Resources Department.

 

In the United States, the Companies may make corporate campaign contributions to state or local political parties, political committees, or candidates for elective public office in those states where such contributions are legal.

 

The Companies shall not make corporate contributions which assume a second-step transaction which will benefit a party, candidate, or committee not otherwise legally permitted to receive corporate funds. In addition, the Companies do not pay honoraria to public officials in any country, including federal office holders in the United States. Exceptions may be made on rare occasions for state office holders in the United States where permitted by law and where the recipient appears at an event organized by the Companies. Payment of the honoraria must have received the prior written approval of the appropriate General Counsel.

 

Although political contributions by corporations are lawful in some countries, it is our policy not to contribute financially to political parties or candidates outside of the United States under any circumstances.

 

As a corporate citizen, and consistent with our policies, the Companies may also express their views on public issues affecting us or our stockholders or employees, or the geographic areas in which we operate. In the United States, the Companies may, in accordance with applicable law, (1) express their views on and provide financial assistance in support of or in opposition to public issues and elections such as bond issues, tax proposals, governmental reorganizations, referenda, and other propositions, and (2) supply personnel, support, and assistance to governmental units or associations. Recommendations for financial or other assistance are to be submitted to the appropriate General Counsel and are to be reviewed by the Legal Department to determine compliance with applicable law. Such assistance must be approved by the appropriate General Counsel and by the Chief Financial Officer.

 

It is against our policy, and may also be illegal, for any employee to include, directly or indirectly, any political contribution that the employee may desire to make on the employee’s expense account or in any other way which causes the Companies to reimburse the employee for that expense. In general, the cost of fund-raising tickets for political functions are considered political contributions. Therefore, including the cost of any such fund-raising dinner on an expense account, even if business is, in fact, discussed, is against our policy and possibly illegal.

 

The political process is highly regulated. You should consult with our Legal Department before doing anything that could be construed as involving us in any political activity.

 

 

Doing business with federal, state and local government agencies is subject to specific rules and regulations. These include numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to control of the process of public procurement. Procurement laws and regulations generally have four basic purposes: (1) to obtain the best possible products and services at the best value; (2) to encourage competition based on specifications and evaluation criteria that allow interested suppliers to respond; (3) to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse; and (4) to promote full and open competition. It is our policy not to engage in any activities that could impair the fairness of governmental procurement processes. All employees involved in business or potential business with a governmental body or agency must know and abide by the specific rules and regulations covering business relations with those public agencies.

 

All employees must also conduct themselves in a manner that avoids any dealings which might be perceived as attempts to improperly influence public officials in the performance of their official duties and must not attempt to induce government personnel to do anything they are prohibited from doing. As stated in Section II.A. above, this Code of Conduct prohibits offering or making any payment or gift to a government official to influence any discretionary decision by such person in his official capacity. Employees should deal with government representatives in an atmosphere of openness. Meetings should generally be scheduled in normal business locations and at normal business hours under circumstances that could not be interpreted to imply concealment.

 

In addition, there are laws that restrict companies that do business with governmental agencies from hiring as an employee or retaining as a consultant any employees of those and other governmental agencies (other than certain lower-level governmental employees). These laws also prohibit informal arrangements for possible future employment under certain circumstances. Therefore, written clearance must be obtained from the Legal Department before discussing possible future employment by any of the Companies with any current government employee (even if the discussion is initiated by the government employee) and before hiring or retaining any former government employee who left the government within the past two years.

 

The process of doing business with governments and their agencies is highly regulated and any violation of these laws and regulations may subject the Companies to criminal prosecution and may have other serious consequences for the Companies, both with respect to the specific relationship where the violation occurred as well as in our relationships with other governmental agencies. The Legal Department is available to assist our employees in complying with the rules and regulations applicable to relations with governmental bodies and agencies and their officials.

 

There are also laws and regulations that may affect the eligibility of the Companies for certain business with governmental bodies or agencies because of actual or potential conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest may occur, for example, when the degree of access to government information or participation in the analysis or development of a governmental requirement reaches a level that places a particular government contractor at an unfair competitive advantage in bidding for that business. Such conflicts of interest can result in bid disqualifications and possible civil or criminal action. Various actions, including the sharing of certain information between our business units or particular groups of employees within a business unit, may have adverse consequences under these laws and regulations. The Legal Department is available to assist our businesses and employees in complying with these laws and regulations and in structuring our business activities to avoid conflicts of interest when possible and in complying with any related requirements for making disclosure to government agencies of actual or potential conflicts of interest.

 

 

The United States government uses economic sanctions and trade embargoes to further various foreign policy and national security objectives. It is our policy to abide by the terms of all economic sanctions or trade embargoes that the United States has adopted, whether they apply to foreign countries, political organizations or particular foreign individuals and entities. Inquires regarding whether a transaction on behalf of any of the Companies complies with applicable sanction and trade embargo programs should be referred to the appropriate General Counsel. In addition, inquiries regarding any available exemptions that the Companies may wish to seek in specific cases, if permitted under applicable law or regulation, should be referred to the appropriate General Counsel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boards of Directors of the Companies have appointed a Compliance Officer to assist in the implementation of this Code of Conduct. The current Compliance Officer is Lewis Leicher, an Assistant General Counsel. He can be reached at 858-759-6008. You may also reach him at lleicher@webmd.net or by writing to: HLTH Corporation, 16092 San Dieguito Road, P.O. Box 676306, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067-6306.

 

 

While many of the policies set forth in this Code of Conduct must be strictly adhered to and no exceptions allowed, in other cases, some waivers or exceptions may be possible. For example, a minor conflict of interest can sometimes be resolved simply by disclosing the possible conflict to all interested parties and making sure the person with the conflict is not involved in decision-making in areas of conflict.

 

Any employee who believes that an exception to any of these policies is appropriate in his or her case should contact his or her immediate supervisor first. If the immediate supervisor agrees that an exception is appropriate, you should contact the Compliance Officer, who will coordinate seeking the approval of the General Counsel of HLTH (after consultation with the General Counsel of WebMD) or, in the case of an executive officer or a Senior Financial Officer, the approval of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of HLTH and/or WebMD, as applicable.

 

The General Counsel of HLTH (after consulting with the General Counsel of WebMD) is responsible for interpreting and applying this Code of Conduct to specific situations in which questions may arise and granting any waivers, except with respect to interpretations, applications and waivers involving executive officers, Senior Financial Officers or directors of either HLTH or WebMD, for which the applicable Board of Directors (HLTH or WebMD) or, to the extent permitted by law or the listing standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market, the applicable Audit Committee or another duly authorized committee of the applicable Board of Directors shall be responsible. To the extent required by law or the listing standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market, any such waivers for Senior Financial Officers, executive officers or directors of either HLTH or WebMD shall be disclosed publicly.

 

This Code of Conduct may be amended by joint action of the Boards of Directors of WebMD and HLTH, by joint action of the Audit Committees of WebMD and HLTH or by joint action by other duly authorized committees of the Boards of Directors of each of HLTH and WebMD. To the extent required by law or the listing standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market, any such amendments shall be disclosed publicly.

 

 

The Companies’ policy allows the use of any lawful method of investigation that the Companies deem necessary to determine whether a person has violated applicable law, this Code of Conduct or other policies of the Companies or has otherwise engaged in conduct that interferes or adversely affects their business. All employees are expected to cooperate in the investigation of any such alleged violation. It is imperative, however, that even a preliminary investigation of any suspected violation NOT be conducted without consulting with the Compliance Officer or seeking the assistance and guidance of the appropriate General Counsel. Following the completion of the investigation, appropriate members of senior management will determine appropriate action.

 

 

Violations of this Code of Conduct will result in disciplinary action, which may include termination, reprimands, warnings, suspensions with or without pay, demotions, or salary reductions. Violators may also be subject to civil or criminal prosecution. Disciplinary actions may also extend to a violator’s manager if we determine that the violation involved the participation of the manager or resulted from the manager’s lack of diligence in enforcing compliance with this Code of Conduct.

 

We will document disciplinary actions taken against our personnel for violations of this Code of Conduct. Such documentation will be included in the individual’s personnel files. In reviewing the appropriate disciplinary action imposed for a violation of this Code of Conduct, senior management shall take into account the following factors:

 

 

 

 

Failure to comply with those policy statements will, in many
cases, also be a violation of this Code of Conduct. In addition,
our Finance Department, Legal Department, Human Resources
Department and our operating units have adopted, and may in the
future adopt, other written policies and procedures relating to
the conduct of the business of the Companies, the documenting of
transactions, record keeping and related matters. Employees must
comply with those policies and procedures and failure to do so
will generally also be a violation of this Code of Conduct.