Send us Feedback

WebMD Health (WBMD)
Analysis
SUMMARY
BULLS
BEARS
TOPICS
Data
DATA CENTRAL
STOCK CHART
Financials
SEC FILINGS
BALANCE
INCOME
CASH FLOW

WBMD » Topics » The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager

These excerpts taken from the WBMD 10-K filed Feb 27, 2009.
The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager
 
We provide our integrated health and benefits management solution suite, known as the Health and Benefits Manager, through private online portals that we host for our employer and health plan clients. Our applications are typically accessed through a client’s Web site or intranet and provide secure access for registered members. We provide a personalized user experience by integrating: individual user data (including personal health information); plan-specific data from clients; and WebMD content, decision-support technology and personal communication services. The WebMD Insight Enginesm is the platform we use to integrate third party applications, to consolidate and analyze data from multiple sources, and to drive the delivery of personalized information for each user of the Health and Benefits Manager. The Insight Engine also powers reporting services that help employers and plans identify population health risks, track program utilization, document the impact of health promotion initiatives, and measure results of ongoing campaigns.
 
Membership for each of our private portals is limited to the employees and members (and their dependants) of the respective employer and health plan clients. Each member must initially register on the private portal provided, at which point a unique user identification name and passcode is assigned. The portal is presented to each employee or health plan member as a personal home page, with direct access to relevant content, tools and other resources specific to the individual’s eligibility, coverage and health profile. The Health and Benefits Manager enables registered members to access and manage the individually tailored health and benefits information and decision-support technology in one location, with a common look and feel, and with a single sign-on. The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager includes the following product suites:
 
  •  The WebMD Health Management Suite gives employees and plan members access to personalized content and tools that empower them to evaluate and manage their healthcare, motivate them to make healthier lifestyle choices, and help them improve their overall health. The Health Management Suite incorporates our WebMD Health Quotientsm health risk assessment applications, which enable users to assess their overall health risks and to understand their unique risk factors with regard to specific conditions. The results of the health risk assessment are then used, along with the individual’s usage patterns, to give each user a personalized experience relevant to his or her specific needs and interests. Users can get consistent reinforcement from lifestyle improvement programs and condition centers, health management content, and targeted health messaging. We complement our Health Management Suite with personalized telephonic health coaching services. Health coaches work one-on-one with employees and plan members to motivate them to improve their own health status by better managing existing health conditions, by pursuing health conscious lifestyles, by actively seeking health and wellness knowledge and by understanding the financial and health impact of lifestyle decisions.
 
  •  The WebMD Benefits & Financial Suite helps employees and plan members to better understand the financial implications of their benefits options and make more informed benefits-related purchase decisions. Using WebMD Coverage Advisorsm, they can compare costs across available health plan options based on personalized information regarding coverage alternatives, along with cost-modeling and projection utilities. WebMD Health Expense Advisorsm helps individuals manage and track their healthcare expenses, create budgets and analyze the benefits available under their health plan. WebMD


11

Table of Contents

  HSA Advisorsm provides personalized resources to assist in determining appropriate amounts for individuals to contribute to medical savings accounts based on their profile. The Benefits & Financial Suite is integrated with WebMD Health Management Suite applications and content, so users can align their benefits choices with their personal health profile and individual financial circumstances. Cost-modeling and projection tools help users to understand and adopt the right health plan for their situation.
 
  •  The WebMD Provider & Treatment Suite gives employees and plan members access to information and services that can help them factor quality and cost into decisions about care and treatment options. The Provider & Treatment Suite helps users analyze provider quality, identify appropriate drug and treatment choices, and understand the costs associated with their care. This suite leverages multiple data sources for cost and quality comparisons and provides a personalized, consistent user experience across a full set of integrated tools. The quality comparisons are based on evidence-based measures, such as volume of patients treated for particular illnesses or procedures, mortality rates, unfavorable outcomes for specific problems, and average length of hospital stay. The WebMD Provider Selection Advisorsm included in this Suite allows users to search for healthcare providers (including physicians, hospitals, medical practices, dental providers and others) by name, specialty, location or healthcare need/situation and provides profiles and comparative information on these providers.
 
  •  The WebMD Health Record Suite helps employees and plan members gather, store, manage and share their essential health data. The Health Record Suite provides a secure personal health record for self-reported and imported health information, and prompts employees and plan members with secure, personalized health alerts describing potential care or medication issues. This suite includes ID-enabled healthcare provider access that encourages communication with providers to reduce errors or duplications and to improve healthcare outcomes.
 
Whether used independently or as part of an integrated platform, these product suites help employees and health plan members become better-informed health consumers, make better healthcare choices, and feel more satisfied with their benefits choices. We also assist employers and plan members to motivate their employees and members to use the tools and information provided by the Health and Benefits Manager and to implement wellness incentive programs that encourage and reward specific health behaviors. For example, the Insight Engine enables targeted communications campaigns that inform and motivate employees and plan members to change their behaviors and improve health status. Messages can be targeted based on health profile characteristics, demographics, or site usage, and they can be designed to raise awareness of specific programs, motivate a lifestyle change, or increase utilization of health resources.
 
We believe that our private portals and related services provide the following potential benefits to an employer or health plan:
 
  •  reduced benefits administration, communication, and customer service costs;
 
  •  more efficient coordination of messaging through the use of integrated member profiles;
 
  •  increased employee participation in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs);
 
  •  reduced hospital, physician and drug costs through more informed utilization of the benefit plan;
 
  •  increased enrollment in health management programs, including disease management or health coaching;
 
  •  increased member satisfaction with the employer and the benefit plan;
 
  •  increased conformance with benefit plan and clinical protocols;
 
  •  enhanced health risk stratification that assists employers and health plans in selecting health management programs that are appropriate to the needs of their specific populations; and
 
  •  reduction in overall health risks and increased employee productivity.


12

Table of Contents

 
In addition, we believe that our private portals and related services provide the following potential benefits to employees or plan members:
 
  •  increased tax savings through increased participation in FSAs and HSAs;
 
  •  reduced benefit costs through more informed choice of benefit plan options and more informed use of the chosen benefit plan;
 
  •  improved health outcomes, through more informed choices of providers and treatments; and
 
  •  improved understanding and management of health conditions through access to support tools and educational information.
 
The
WebMD Health and Benefits Manager


 



We provide our integrated health and benefits management
solution suite, known as the Health and Benefits Manager,
through private online portals that we host for our employer and
health plan clients. Our applications are typically accessed
through a client’s Web site or intranet and provide secure
access for registered members. We provide a personalized user
experience by integrating: individual user data (including
personal health information); plan-specific data from clients;
and WebMD content, decision-support technology and personal
communication services. The WebMD Insight
Enginesm

is the platform we use to integrate third party applications, to
consolidate and analyze data from multiple sources, and to drive
the delivery of personalized information for each user of the
Health and Benefits Manager. The Insight Engine also powers
reporting services that help employers and plans identify
population health risks, track program utilization, document the
impact of health promotion initiatives, and measure results of
ongoing campaigns.


 



Membership for each of our private portals is limited to the
employees and members (and their dependants) of the respective
employer and health plan clients. Each member must initially
register on the private portal provided, at which point a unique
user identification name and passcode is assigned. The portal is
presented to each employee or health plan member as a personal
home page, with direct access to relevant content, tools and
other resources specific to the individual’s eligibility,
coverage and health profile. The Health and Benefits Manager
enables registered members to access and manage the individually
tailored health and benefits information and decision-support
technology in one location, with a common look and feel, and
with a single sign-on. The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager
includes the following product suites:


 


























  • 
The WebMD Health Management Suite gives employees and
plan members access to personalized content and tools that
empower them to evaluate and manage their healthcare, motivate
them to make healthier lifestyle choices, and help them improve
their overall health. The Health Management Suite incorporates
our WebMD Health
Quotientsm

health risk assessment applications, which enable users to
assess their overall health risks and to understand their unique
risk factors with regard to specific conditions. The results of
the health risk assessment are then used, along with the
individual’s usage patterns, to give each user a
personalized experience relevant to his or her specific needs
and interests. Users can get consistent reinforcement from
lifestyle improvement programs and condition centers, health
management content, and targeted health messaging. We complement
our Health Management Suite with personalized telephonic health
coaching services. Health coaches work
one-on-one
with employees and plan members to motivate them to improve
their own health status by better managing existing health
conditions, by pursuing health conscious lifestyles, by actively
seeking health and wellness knowledge and by understanding the
financial and health impact of lifestyle decisions.
 
  • 
The WebMD Benefits & Financial Suite helps
employees and plan members to better understand the financial
implications of their benefits options and make more informed
benefits-related purchase decisions. Using WebMD Coverage
Advisorsm,

they can compare costs across available health plan options
based on personalized information regarding coverage
alternatives, along with cost-modeling and projection utilities.
WebMD Health Expense
Advisorsm

helps individuals manage and track their healthcare expenses,
create budgets and analyze the benefits available under their
health plan. WebMD





11




Table of Contents



















 

HSA
Advisorsm

provides personalized resources to assist in determining
appropriate amounts for individuals to contribute to medical
savings accounts based on their profile. The
Benefits & Financial Suite is integrated with WebMD
Health Management Suite applications and content, so users can
align their benefits choices with their personal health profile
and individual financial circumstances. Cost-modeling and
projection tools help users to understand and adopt the right
health plan for their situation.


 


























  • 
The WebMD Provider & Treatment Suite gives
employees and plan members access to information and services
that can help them factor quality and cost into decisions about
care and treatment options. The Provider & Treatment
Suite helps users analyze provider quality, identify appropriate
drug and treatment choices, and understand the costs associated
with their care. This suite leverages multiple data sources for
cost and quality comparisons and provides a personalized,
consistent user experience across a full set of integrated
tools. The quality comparisons are based on evidence-based
measures, such as volume of patients treated for particular
illnesses or procedures, mortality rates, unfavorable outcomes
for specific problems, and average length of hospital stay. The
WebMD Provider Selection
Advisorsm

included in this Suite allows users to search for healthcare
providers (including physicians, hospitals, medical practices,
dental providers and others) by name, specialty, location or
healthcare need/situation and provides profiles and comparative
information on these providers.
 
  • 
The WebMD Health Record Suite helps employees and plan
members gather, store, manage and share their essential health
data. The Health Record Suite provides a secure personal health
record for self-reported and imported health information, and
prompts employees and plan members with secure, personalized
health alerts describing potential care or medication issues.
This suite includes ID-enabled healthcare provider access that
encourages communication with providers to reduce errors or
duplications and to improve healthcare outcomes.


 



Whether used independently or as part of an integrated platform,
these product suites help employees and health plan members
become better-informed health consumers, make better healthcare
choices, and feel more satisfied with their benefits choices. We
also assist employers and plan members to motivate their
employees and members to use the tools and information provided
by the Health and Benefits Manager and to implement wellness
incentive programs that encourage and reward specific health
behaviors. For example, the Insight Engine enables targeted
communications campaigns that inform and motivate employees and
plan members to change their behaviors and improve health
status. Messages can be targeted based on health profile
characteristics, demographics, or site usage, and they can be
designed to raise awareness of specific programs, motivate a
lifestyle change, or increase utilization of health resources.


 



We believe that our private portals and related services provide
the following potential benefits to an employer or health plan:


 
































































































  • 
reduced benefits administration, communication, and customer
service costs;
 
  • 
more efficient coordination of messaging through the use of
integrated member profiles;
 
  • 
increased employee participation in Flexible Spending Accounts
(FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs);
 
  • 
reduced hospital, physician and drug costs through more informed
utilization of the benefit plan;
 
  • 
increased enrollment in health management programs, including
disease management or health coaching;
 
  • 
increased member satisfaction with the employer and the benefit
plan;
 
  • 
increased conformance with benefit plan and clinical protocols;
 
  • 
enhanced health risk stratification that assists employers and
health plans in selecting health management programs that are
appropriate to the needs of their specific populations; and
 
  • 
reduction in overall health risks and increased employee
productivity.





12




Table of Contents





 



In addition, we believe that our private portals and related
services provide the following potential benefits to employees
or plan members:


 














































  • 
increased tax savings through increased participation in FSAs
and HSAs;
 
  • 
reduced benefit costs through more informed choice of benefit
plan options and more informed use of the chosen benefit plan;
 
  • 
improved health outcomes, through more informed choices of
providers and treatments; and
 
  • 
improved understanding and management of health conditions
through access to support tools and educational information.


 




These excerpts taken from the WBMD 10-K filed Feb 29, 2008.
The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager
 
We provide proprietary health and benefit management services through private online portals that we host for our employers and health plan clients. Our WebMD Health and Benefits Managersm private portals provide a personalized user experience by integrating individual user data (including personal health information) and plan-specific data from clients, with much of our content, decision-support technology and personal communication services. Our applications are typically accessed through a client’s Web site or intranet and provide secure access for registered members. We also offer a software platform that allows us to integrate third party applications and data. The portal is presented to each employee or health plan member as a personal home page, with direct access to relevant content, tools and other resources specific to the individual’s eligibility, coverage and health profile. The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager provides a user-friendly experience that enables registered members to access and manage the individually tailored health and benefits information and decision-support technology in one place, with a common look and feel, and with a single sign-on. The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager includes the following product suites:
 
  •  The WebMD Health Management Suite gives employees and plan members personalized content and tools that let them evaluate and manage their healthcare, motivate them to make healthier lifestyle choices, and help them improve their overall health. The Health Management Suite incorporates our health risk assessment tools, which enable users to assess their overall health risks, understand their risks with regard to specific conditions. The results of the health risk assessment are then used, along with the individual’s usage patterns, to give each user a personalized experience that is relevant to his or her specific needs and interests. Users can get consistent reinforcement from lifestyle programs and condition centers, health management content, and targeted health messaging. We complement our Health Management Suite with personalized telephonic health coaching services. Health coaches work one-on-one with employees and plan members to motivate participants to better manage their health conditions, practice prevention, pursue health conscious lifestyles, actively seek health and wellness knowledge and understand the financial and health impact of their lifestyle decisions.
 
  •  The WebMD Benefits & Financial Suite helps employees and plan members understand the financial implications of their healthcare and lifestyle decisions so they can better manage healthcare costs and be more satisfied with their choices. The Benefits & Financial Suite is fully integrated with WebMD health management tools and content, so users can align their benefits choices with their personal health profile and individual financial circumstances. Cost-modeling and projection tools help users to understand and adopt the right health plan for their situation.
 
  •  The WebMD Provider & Treatment Suite drives informed healthcare decisions by helping employers and plan members evaluate the cost and quality of their alternatives so they can make better choices. The Provider & Treatment Suite helps users analyze provider quality, identify appropriate drug and treatment choices, and understand the costs associated with their care. This suite leverages multiple data sources for cost and quality comparisons and provides a personalized, consistent user experience across a full set of integrated tools. The quality comparisons are based on evidence-based measures, such as volume of patients treated for particular illnesses or procedures, mortality rates, unfavorable outcomes for specific problems, and average number of days patients stayed in hospitals.
 
  •  The WebMD Health Record Suite supports collaborative healthcare that can help prevent costly errors and duplication of services. The Health Record Suite provides a secure, personal health record for self-reported and imported, professionally sourced health information, and prompts employees and plan members with secure, personalized health alerts describing potential care or medication issues. WebMD ID-enabled provider access encourages communication with providers to reduce errors or duplications and to improve outcomes.
 
Whether used independently or as part of an integrated whole, these product suites help employees and health plan members become better-informed health consumers, make better healthcare choices, and feel more satisfied with their benefits choices.


17

Table of Contents

Our profile-driven WebMD Insight Engine integrates and analyzes individuals’ healthcare data from multiple sources and powers the personalization for users of The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager. The WebMD Insight Engine also powers reporting services that help employees and plans identify population health risks, measure campaign results, track program utilization, document the impact of health initiatives, and measure results of ongoing campaigns.
 
We believe that our services provide the following potential benefits to an employer or health plan:
 
  •  reduced benefits administration, communication, and customer service costs;
 
  •  more efficient coordination of messaging through the use of integrated member profiles;
 
  •  increased tax savings through increased employee participation in Flexible Spending Accounts or HSAs;
 
  •  reduced hospital, physician and drug costs through more informed utilization of the benefit plan;
 
  •  increased enrollment in health management programs including disease management or health coaching;
 
  •  increased member satisfaction with the employer and the benefit plan;
 
  •  increased conformance with benefit plan and clinical protocols; and
 
  •  enhanced health risk stratification that assists employers and health plans in selecting health management programs that are appropriate to the needs of their unique populations.
 
In addition, we believe that our services provide the following potential benefits to employees or plan members:
 
  •  increased tax savings through increased participation in Flexible Spending Accounts;
 
  •  reduced benefit costs through more informed choice of benefit plan options and more informed use of the chosen benefit plan;
 
  •  improved health outcomes and population risk reduction, through more informed choices of providers and treatments and behavior modification intervention; and
 
  •  improved understanding and management of health conditions through access to support tools and educational information.
 
The
WebMD Health and Benefits Manager


 



We provide proprietary health and benefit management services
through private online portals that we host for our employers
and health plan clients. Our WebMD Health and Benefits
Managersm
private portals provide a personalized user experience by
integrating individual user data (including personal health
information) and plan-specific data from clients, with much of
our content, decision-support technology and personal
communication services. Our applications are typically accessed
through a client’s Web site or intranet and provide secure
access for registered members. We also offer a software platform
that allows us to integrate third party applications and data.
The portal is presented to each employee or health plan member
as a personal home page, with direct access to relevant content,
tools and other resources specific to the individual’s
eligibility, coverage and health profile. The WebMD Health and
Benefits Manager provides a user-friendly experience that
enables registered members to access and manage the individually
tailored health and benefits information and decision-support
technology in one place, with a common look and feel, and with a
single sign-on. The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager includes
the following product suites:


 














































  • 
The WebMD Health Management Suite gives employees and plan
members personalized content and tools that let them evaluate
and manage their healthcare, motivate them to make healthier
lifestyle choices, and help them improve their overall health.
The Health Management Suite incorporates our health risk
assessment tools, which enable users to assess their overall
health risks, understand their risks with regard to specific
conditions. The results of the health risk assessment are then
used, along with the individual’s usage patterns, to give
each user a personalized experience that is relevant to his or
her specific needs and interests. Users can get consistent
reinforcement from lifestyle programs and condition centers,
health management content, and targeted health messaging. We
complement our Health Management Suite with personalized
telephonic health coaching services. Health coaches work
one-on-one
with employees and plan members to motivate participants to
better manage their health conditions, practice prevention,
pursue health conscious lifestyles, actively seek health and
wellness knowledge and understand the financial and health
impact of their lifestyle decisions.
 
  • 
The WebMD Benefits & Financial Suite helps employees
and plan members understand the financial implications of their
healthcare and lifestyle decisions so they can better manage
healthcare costs and be more satisfied with their choices. The
Benefits & Financial Suite is fully integrated with
WebMD health management tools and content, so users can align
their benefits choices with their personal health profile and
individual financial circumstances. Cost-modeling and projection
tools help users to understand and adopt the right health plan
for their situation.
 
  • 
The WebMD Provider & Treatment Suite drives informed
healthcare decisions by helping employers and plan members
evaluate the cost and quality of their alternatives so they can
make better choices. The Provider & Treatment Suite
helps users analyze provider quality, identify appropriate drug
and treatment choices, and understand the costs associated with
their care. This suite leverages multiple data sources for cost
and quality comparisons and provides a personalized, consistent
user experience across a full set of integrated tools. The
quality comparisons are based on evidence-based measures, such
as volume of patients treated for particular illnesses or
procedures, mortality rates, unfavorable outcomes for specific
problems, and average number of days patients stayed in
hospitals.
 
  • 
The WebMD Health Record Suite supports collaborative healthcare
that can help prevent costly errors and duplication of services.
The Health Record Suite provides a secure, personal health
record for self-reported and imported, professionally sourced
health information, and prompts employees and plan members with
secure, personalized health alerts describing potential care or
medication issues. WebMD ID-enabled provider access encourages
communication with providers to reduce errors or duplications
and to improve outcomes.


 



Whether used independently or as part of an integrated whole,
these product suites help employees and health plan members
become better-informed health consumers, make better healthcare
choices, and feel more satisfied with their benefits choices.





17




Table of Contents






Our profile-driven WebMD Insight Engine integrates and analyzes
individuals’ healthcare data from multiple sources and
powers the personalization for users of The WebMD Health and
Benefits Manager. The WebMD Insight Engine also powers reporting
services that help employees and plans identify population
health risks, measure campaign results, track program
utilization, document the impact of health initiatives, and
measure results of ongoing campaigns.


 



We believe that our services provide the following potential
benefits to an employer or health plan:


 






















































































  • 
reduced benefits administration, communication, and customer
service costs;
 
  • 
more efficient coordination of messaging through the use of
integrated member profiles;
 
  • 
increased tax savings through increased employee participation
in Flexible Spending Accounts or HSAs;
 
  • 
reduced hospital, physician and drug costs through more informed
utilization of the benefit plan;
 
  • 
increased enrollment in health management programs including
disease management or health coaching;
 
  • 
increased member satisfaction with the employer and the benefit
plan;
 
  • 
increased conformance with benefit plan and clinical
protocols; and
 
  • 
enhanced health risk stratification that assists employers and
health plans in selecting health management programs that are
appropriate to the needs of their unique populations.


 



In addition, we believe that our services provide the following
potential benefits to employees or plan members:


 














































  • 
increased tax savings through increased participation in
Flexible Spending Accounts;
 
  • 
reduced benefit costs through more informed choice of benefit
plan options and more informed use of the chosen benefit plan;
 
  • 
improved health outcomes and population risk reduction, through
more informed choices of providers and treatments and behavior
modification intervention; and
 
  • 
improved understanding and management of health conditions
through access to support tools and educational information.


 




This excerpt taken from the WBMD 10-K filed Mar 2, 2007.
The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager
 
We provide proprietary health and benefit management services through private online portals that we host for employers and health plan sponsors. Our WebMD Health and Benefits Manager private portals provide a personalized user experience by integrating individual user data (including personal health information) and plan-specific data from our employer or health plan client, with much of the content, decision-support technology and personal communication services we make available through our public portals. Our applications are typically accessed through a client’s Web site or intranet and provide secure access for employees and plan members. We also offer a software platform that allows us to integrate third party applications and data. The portal is presented to each employee or health plan member as a personal home page, with direct access to relevant content, tools and other resources specific to the individual’s eligibility, coverage and health profile. The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager provides a user-friendly experience that enables the employee or member to access and manage the individually tailored health and benefits information and decision-support technology in one place, with a common look and feel, and with a single sign-on. The components of the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager include:
 
  •  WebMD Personal Health Manager.  WebMD Personal Health Manager includes health risk assessment tools, an electronic personal health record and a suite of treatment decision-support applications. These services enable employees and plan members to assess their overall health risks, understand their risks with regard to specific conditions and store this information as well as other medical data, including medication and treatment history, in an electronic health record. Our services enable employees and plan members to receive targeted information, programs or messages specific to the individual employee’s or plan member’s needs, based upon the information they store in their master profile.
 
  •  WebMD Benefit Manager.  WebMD Benefit Manager is a set of benefit decision-support applications that explain and provide comparisons of health plan benefit choices, facilitating informed selection and use of the employee’s benefit options. For example, CostCompare allows an employee to forecast and model individual premium and out-of-pocket costs for the different types of benefit programs the plan sponsor may offer. A newly developed product, The Cost Estimator, will provide a resource for consumers to estimate the total treatment costs of over 300 procedures, interventions or tests.
 
  •  WebMD Provider Decision-Support.  As a result of our acquisitions of HealthShare Technology, Inc. in March 2005 and Subimo, LLC in December 2006, we offer as either part of our platform or as point solutions, tools that enable employees and health plan members to compare relative cost and quality measures of hospitals in order to select the hospital they believe is most suited to their individual needs. These comparisons are based on evidence-based measures, such as volume of patients treated for particular illnesses or procedures, mortality rates, unfavorable outcomes for specific problems, average number of days patients stayed in hospitals and average hospital treatment charges. The WebMD Provider Decision-Support tools also assist employees and members in selecting insurance coverage, tax preferred accounts funding, drugs and physicians.
 
  •  WebMD Integration Services.  WebMD offers a set of sophisticated integration services that facilitates access from the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager to third party Web sites. This functionality allows employers and health plans to present their benefit programs within a single, unified interface, enabling end-users to access third party Web sites without leaving our secure portals. Users of our application integration services are able to, among other things, view medical claims at their health plan sites, re-order medication from a pharmacy site and import medical, pharmacy and lab claims data. In addition, our Data Interchange services import data from medical, pharmacy and lab claims information into the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager enhancing our benefit decision support capabilities.
 
  •  WebMD Site Manager.  WebMD Site Manager is our online service and administrative suite of applications that enables our clients to manage many of the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager


16

Table of Contents

  functions locally without assistance from WebMD staff. With Site Manager, employers and health plans are able to analyze aggregate health data, address population health risks more effectively and proactively implement preventive programs. Site Manager’s messaging capabilities also allow employers to streamline their communication with their employees.
 
We believe that our services provide the following potential benefits to an employer or health plan:
 
  •  reduced benefits administration, communication, and customer service costs;
 
  •  more efficient coordination of messaging through the use of integrated member profiles;
 
  •  increased tax savings through increased employee participation in Flexible Spending Accounts or HSAs;
 
  •  reduced hospital, physician and drug costs through more informed utilization of the benefit plan;
 
  •  increased enrollment in health management programs including disease management or health coaching;
 
  •  increased member satisfaction with the employer and the benefit plan;
 
  •  increased conformance with benefit plan and clinical protocols; and
 
  •  enhanced health risk stratification that assists employers and health plans in selecting health management programs that are appropriate to the needs of their unique populations.
 
In addition, we believe that our services provide the following potential benefits to employees or plan members:
 
  •  increased tax savings through increased participation in Flexible Spending Accounts;
 
  •  reduced benefit costs through more informed choice of benefit plan options and more informed use of the chosen benefit plan;
 
  •  improved health outcomes through more informed choice of providers and treatment choices; and
 
  •  improved understanding and management of health conditions through access to support tools and educational information.
 
Personal Health Record Study.  As a prime contractor, Emdeon’s ViPS segment partnered with WebMD during 2006 on a CMS study testing the feasibility of Medicare data and its use within personal health records. The study focused on such critical factors as how to populate and test the viability of personal health records with Medicare fee-for-service eligibility and claims data. As future opportunities arise in this critical area of consumer-driven healthcare, we believe that WebMD’s experience in deployment of a personal health record, together with ViPS’ expertise in healthcare data management, positions them well to compete for additional related projects.
 
This excerpt taken from the WBMD 10-K filed Mar 16, 2006.
The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager
 
We provide proprietary health and benefit management services through private online portals that we host for employers and health plan sponsors. Our WebMD Health and Benefits Manager private portals provide a personalized user experience by integrating individual user data (including personal health information) and plan-specific data from our employer or health plan client, with much of the content, decision-support technology and personal communication services we make available through our public portals. Our applications are typically accessed through a client’s Web site or intranet and provide secure access for employees and plan members. We also offer a software platform that allows us to seamlessly integrate third party applications and data. The portal is presented to each employee or health plan member as a personal home page, with direct access to relevant content, tools and other resources specific to the individual’s eligibility, coverage and health profile. The WebMD Health and Benefits Manager provides a user-friendly experience that enables the employee or member to access and manage the individually tailored health and benefits information and decision-support technology in one place, with a common look and feel, and with a single sign-on. The components of the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager include:
 
  •  WebMD Personal Health Manager.  WebMD Personal Health Manager includes health risk assessment tools, an electronic personal health record and a suite of treatment decision-support applications. These services enable employees and plan members to understand their risks with regard to specific conditions and store this information as well as other medical data, including medication and treatment history, in an electronic health record. Our services enable employees and plan members to receive targeted information, programs or messages specific to the individual employee’s or plan member’s needs, based upon the information they store in their master profile.
 
  •  WebMD Benefit Manager.  WebMD Benefit Manager is a set of benefit decision-support applications that explain and provide comparisons of health plan benefit choices, facilitating informed selection and use of the employee’s benefit options. For example, CostCompare allows an employee to forecast and model individual premium and out-of-pocket costs for the different types of benefit programs the plan sponsor may offer. A newly developed product, The Cost Estimator, will provide a yearlong resource for consumers to estimate the total treatment costs of over 300 procedures, interventions or tests.
 
  •  WebMD Integration Services.  WebMD offers a set of sophisticated integration services that facilitates seamless access from the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager to third party Web sites. This functionality allows employers and health plans to present their benefit programs within a single, unified interface, enabling end-users to access third party Web sites without leaving our secure portals. Users of our application integration services are able to, among other things, view medical claims at their health plan sites, re-order medication from a pharmacy site and import medical, pharmacy and lab claims data. In addition, our Data Interchange services import data from medical, pharmacy and lab claims information into the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager.
 
  •  WebMD Provider Decision-Support.  As a result of our acquisition of HealthShare Technology, Inc. (or HealthShare) in March 2005, our decision-support suite now provides the capability for employees and health plan members to compare relative cost and quality measures of hospitals in order to select the


15

Table of Contents

  hospital they believe is most suited to their individual needs. These comparisons are based on evidence-based measures, such as volume of patients treated for particular illnesses or procedures, mortality rates, unfavorable outcomes for specific problems, average number of days patients stayed in hospitals and average hospital charges for procedures or illnesses.
 
  •  WebMD Site Manager.  WebMD Site Manager is our online service and administrative suite of applications that enables our clients to manage many of the WebMD Health and Benefits Manager functions locally without assistance from WebMD staff. With Site Manager, employers and health plans are able to analyze aggregate health data, address population health risks more effectively and proactively implement preventive programs. Site Manager’s messaging capabilities also allow employers to streamline their communication with their employees.
 
We believe that our services provide the following potential benefits to an employer or health plan:
 
  •  reduced benefits administration, communication, and customer service costs;
 
  •  more efficient coordination of messaging through the use of integrated member profiles;
 
  •  increased tax savings through increased employee participation in Flexible Spending Accounts or HSAs;
 
  •  reduced hospital, physician and drug costs through more informed utilization of the benefit plan;
 
  •  increased enrollment in health management programs including disease management or health coaching;
 
  •  increased member satisfaction with the employer and the benefit plan; and
 
  •  increased conformance with benefit plan and clinical protocols.
 
In addition, we believe that our services provide the following potential benefits to employees or plan members:
 
  •  increased tax savings through increased participation in Flexible Spending Accounts;
 
  •  reduced benefit costs through more informed choice of benefit plan options and more informed use of the chosen benefit plan;
 
  •  improved health outcomes through more informed choice of providers and treatment choices; and
 
  •  improved understanding and management of health conditions through access to support tools and educational information.
 

EXCERPTS ON THIS PAGE:

10-K (2 sections)
Feb 27, 2009
10-K (2 sections)
Feb 29, 2008
10-K
Mar 2, 2007
10-K
Mar 16, 2006

RELATED TOPICS for WBMD:

Wikinvest © 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. Use of this site is subject to express Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimer. By continuing past this page, you agree to abide by these terms. Any information provided by Wikinvest, including but not limited to company data, competitors, business analysis, market share, sales revenues and other operating metrics, earnings call analysis, conference call transcripts, industry information, or price targets should not be construed as research, trading tips or recommendations, or investment advice and is provided with no warrants as to its accuracy. Stock market data, including US and International equity symbols, stock quotes, share prices, earnings ratios, and other fundamental data is provided by data partners. Stock market quotes delayed at least 15 minutes for NASDAQ, 20 mins for NYSE and AMEX. Market data by Xignite. See data providers for more details. Company names, products, services and branding cited herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The use of trademarks or service marks of another is not a representation that the other is affiliated with, sponsors, is sponsored by, endorses, or is endorsed by Wikinvest.
Powered by MediaWiki