UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-Q
| | |
þ | | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
| | For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2008 |
or |
o | | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
| | For the transition period from to |
Commission filenumber: 0-51547
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| | |
Delaware (State of incorporation) | | 20-2783228 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
111 Eighth Avenue New York, New York (Address of principal executive office) | | 10011 (Zip code) |
(212) 624-3700
(Registrant’s telephone number including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes þ Noo
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” inRule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| | | | | | |
Large accelerated filero | | Accelerated filerþ | | Non-accelerated filer o | | Smaller reporting company o |
| | (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined inRule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.)
Yes o No þ
As of May 5, 2008, the Registrant had 9,466,005 shares of Class A Common Stock (including unvested shares of restricted WebMD Class A Common Stock) and 48,100,000 shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding.
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
QUARTERLY REPORT ONFORM 10-Q
For the period ended March 31, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WebMD®, WebMD Health®, Medscape®, CME Circle®, eMedicine®, MedicineNet®, theheart.org®, RxList®, The Little Blue Booktm, Subimo®, Summex® and Medsite® are among the trademarks of WebMD Health Corp. or its subsidiaries.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report onForm 10-Q contains both historical and forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be, forward-looking statements. For example, statements concerning projections, predictions, expectations, estimates or forecasts and statements that describe our objectives, future performance, plans or goals are, or may be, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations concerning future results and events and can generally be identified by the use of expressions such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “likely,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “future,” “estimate,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “foresee,” and other similar words or phrases, as well as statements in the future tense.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be different from any future results, performance and achievements expressed or implied by these statements. The following important risks and uncertainties could affect our future results, causing those results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements:
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| • | failure to achieve sufficient levels of usage of our public portals; |
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| • | failure to achieve sufficient levels of utilization and market acceptance of new and updated products and services; |
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| • | difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships with customers and strategic partners; |
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| • | the inability to successfully deploy new or updated applications or services; |
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| • | the anticipated benefits from acquisitions not being fully realized or not being realized within the expected time frames; |
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| • | the inability to attract and retain qualified personnel; |
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| • | general economic, business or regulatory conditions affecting the healthcare, information technology, and Internet industries being less favorable than expected; and |
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| • | the other risks and uncertainties described in this Quarterly Report onForm 10-Q under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Factors That May Affect Our Future Financial Condition or Results of Operations.” |
These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on our future results.
The forward-looking statements included in this Quarterly Report onForm 10-Q are made only as of the date of this Quarterly Report. Except as required by law or regulation, we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
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PART I
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
| |
ITEM 1. | Financial Statements |
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
| | | | | | | | |
| | March 31,
| | | December 31,
| |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
| | (Unaudited) | | | | |
|
ASSETS | | | | | | | | |
Current assets: | | | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents | | $ | 159,831 | | | $ | 213,753 | |
Short-term investments | | | 141,044 | | | | 80,900 | |
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,174 at March 31, 2008 and $1,165 at December 31, 2007 | | | 73,861 | | | | 86,081 | |
Current portion of prepaid advertising | | | 2,275 | | | | 2,329 | |
Due from HLTH | | | — | | | | 1,153 | |
Other current assets | | | 8,837 | | | | 10,840 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total current assets | | | 385,848 | | | | 395,056 | |
Property and equipment, net | | | 46,995 | | | | 48,589 | |
Prepaid advertising | | | 3,017 | | | | 4,521 | |
Goodwill | | | 221,429 | | | | 221,429 | |
Intangible assets, net | | | 33,766 | | | | 36,314 | |
Other assets | | | 10,889 | | | | 12,955 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | $ | 701,944 | | | $ | 718,864 | |
| | | | | | | | |
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | | | | | | | | |
Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
Accrued expenses | | $ | 16,731 | | | $ | 26,498 | |
Deferred revenue | | | 88,114 | | | | 76,401 | |
Due to HLTH | | | 207 | | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total current liabilities | | | 105,052 | | | | 102,899 | |
Other long-term liabilities | | | 9,033 | | | | 9,210 | |
Commitments and contingencies | | | | | | | | |
Stockholders’ equity: | | | | | | | | |
Preferred stock, 50,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding | | | — | | | | — | |
Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, 500,000,000 shares authorized; 9,154,163 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2008 and 9,113,708 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2007 | | | 92 | | | | 91 | |
Class B Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, 150,000,000 shares authorized; 48,100,000 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 | | | 481 | | | | 481 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 535,481 | | | | 531,043 | |
Retained earnings | | | 51,805 | | | | 75,140 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total stockholders’ equity | | | 587,859 | | | | 606,755 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | $ | 701,944 | | | $ | 718,864 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See accompanying notes.
4
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share data, unaudited)
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended
| |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
Revenue | | $ | 81,682 | | | $ | 71,944 | |
Costs and expenses: | | | | | | | | |
Cost of operations | | | 31,570 | | | | 28,618 | |
Sales and marketing | | | 25,830 | | | | 22,870 | |
General and administrative | | | 13,775 | | | | 15,505 | |
Impairment of auction rate securities | | | 27,406 | | | | — | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 6,785 | | | | 5,991 | |
Interest income | | | 3,453 | | | | 1,985 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax provision | | | (20,231 | ) | | | 945 | |
Income tax provision | | | 3,104 | | | | 210 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | | (23,335 | ) | | | 735 | |
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | | | — | | | | (29 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (23,335 | ) | | $ | 706 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Basic (loss) income per common share: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
Loss from discontinued operations | | | — | | | | (0.00 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Diluted (loss) income per common share: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
Loss from discontinued operations | | | — | | | | (0.00 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Weighted-average shares outstanding used in computing net (loss) income per common share: | | | | | | | | |
Basic | | | 57,636 | | | | 56,976 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Diluted | | | 57,636 | | | | 59,630 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See accompanying notes.
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WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands, unaudited)
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended
| |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (23,335 | ) | | $ | 706 | |
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities: | | | | | | | | |
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | | | — | | | | 29 | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 6,785 | | | | 5,991 | |
Non-cash advertising | | | 1,558 | | | | 2,320 | |
Non-cash stock-based compensation | | | 3,712 | | | | 5,363 | |
Deferred income taxes | | | 2,415 | | | | 78 | |
Impairment of auction rate securities | | | 27,406 | | | | — | |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
Accounts receivable | | | 12,220 | | | | 2,185 | |
Other assets | | | (164 | ) | | | (66 | ) |
Accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities | | | (8,949 | ) | | | (11,545 | ) |
Due to HLTH | | | 1,329 | | | | 228 | |
Deferred revenue | | | 11,714 | | | | 7,678 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net cash provided by continuing operations | | | 34,691 | | | | 12,967 | |
Net cash provided by discontinued operations | | | — | | | | 54 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net cash provided by operating activities | | | 34,691 | | | | 13,021 | |
Cash flows from investing activities: | | | | | | | | |
Proceeds from maturities and sales of available-for-sale securities | | | 40,350 | | | | 28,122 | |
Purchases of available-for-sale securities | | | (127,900 | ) | | | (48,632 | ) |
Purchases of property and equipment | | | (2,637 | ) | | | (4,762 | ) |
Cash received from sale of business, net of fees | | | 985 | | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net cash used in investing activities | | | (89,202 | ) | | | (25,272 | ) |
Cash flows from financing activities: | | | | | | | | |
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | | | 589 | | | | 4,458 | |
Net cash transfers with HLTH | | | — | | | | 145,257 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net cash provided by financing activities | | | 589 | | | | 149,715 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | | | (53,922 | ) | | | 137,464 | |
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | | | 213,753 | | | | 44,660 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | | $ | 159,831 | | | $ | 182,124 | |
| | | | | | | | |
See accompanying notes.
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WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
(In thousands, except share and per share data, unaudited)
| |
1. | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Background and Basis of Presentation
WebMD Health Corp. (the “Company”) is a Delaware corporation that was incorporated on May 3, 2005. The Company completed an initial public offering (“IPO”) of Class A Common Stock on September 28, 2005. The Company’s Class A Common Stock has traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol “WBMD” since September 29, 2005 and now trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Prior to the date of the IPO, the Company was a wholly-owned subsidiary of HLTH Corporation (“HLTH”) and its consolidated financial statements had been derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of HLTH, principally representing the WebMD segment, using the historical results of operations, and historical basis of assets and liabilities of the WebMD related businesses. Since the completion of the IPO, the Company is a majority-owned subsidiary of HLTH, which currently owns 83.4% of the equity of the Company, which includes the impact of shares to be issued pursuant to the purchase agreement for the acquisition of Subimo, LLC. The Company’s Class A Common Stock has one vote per share, while the Company’s Class B Common Stock has five votes per share. As a result, the Company’s Class B Common Stock owned by HLTH represented, as of March 31, 2008, 96.2% of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock.
Transactions between the Company and HLTH have been identified in these notes to the consolidated financial statements as Transactions with HLTH (see Note 4).
Interim Financial Statements
The unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared by management and reflect all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2008 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results to be expected for any subsequent period or for the entire year ending December 31, 2008. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and regulations.
The unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes included herein should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes for the year ended December 31, 2007, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report onForm 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Seasonality
The timing of the Company’s revenue is affected by seasonal factors. Advertising and sponsorship revenue within the Online Services segment are seasonal, primarily as a result of the annual budget approval process of the advertising and sponsorship clients of the public portals. This portion of the Company’s revenue is usually the lowest in the first quarter of each calendar year, and increases during each consecutive quarter throughout the year. The Company’s private portal licensing revenue is historically highest in the second half of the year as new customers are typically added during this period in conjunction with their annual open enrollment periods for employee benefits. Finally, the annual distribution cycle within the Publishing and Other Services segment results in a significant portion of the Company’s revenue in this segment being recognized in the second and third quarter of each calendar year.
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WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, current business factors, and various other assumptions that the Company believes are necessary to consider to form a basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company is subject to uncertainties such as the impact of future events, economic and political factors and changes in the Company’s business environment; therefore, actual results could differ from these estimates. Accordingly, the accounting estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s financial statements will change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as the Company’s operating environment changes. Changes in estimates are made when circumstances warrant. Such changes in estimates and refinements in estimation methodologies are reflected in reported results of operations; if material, the effects of changes in estimates are disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. Significant estimates and assumptions by management affect: revenue recognition, the allowance for doubtful accounts, the carrying value of prepaid advertising, the carrying value of long-lived assets (including goodwill and intangible assets), the carrying value of marketable securities the amortization period of long-lived assets (excluding goodwill), the carrying value, capitalization and amortization of software and Web site development costs, the provision for income taxes and related deferred tax accounts, certain accrued expenses and contingencies, share-based compensation to employees and transactions with HLTH.
Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share
Basic and diluted net (loss) income per common share are presented in conformity with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 128, “Earnings Per Share” (“SFAS 128”). In accordance with SFAS No. 128, basic (loss) income per common share has been computed using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the periods presented. Diluted (loss) income per common share has been computed using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the periods, increased to give effect to potentially dilutive securities.
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WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended
| |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
Numerator: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (23,335 | ) | | $ | 735 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | | $ | — | | | $ | (29 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Denominator: (shares in thousands) | | | | | | | | |
Weighted-average shares — Basic | | | 57,636 | | | | 56,976 | |
Employee stock options, restricted stock and Deferred Shares | | | — | | | | 2,654 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Adjusted weighted-average shares after assumed conversions — Diluted | | | 57,636 | | | | 59,630 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Basic (loss) income per common share: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
Loss from discontinued operations | | | — | | | | (0.00 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Diluted (loss) income per common share: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
Loss from discontinued operations | | | — | | | | (0.00 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (0.40 | ) | | $ | 0.01 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Included in basic and diluted shares for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 is the impact of shares to be issued pursuant to the purchase agreement for the acquisition of Subimo, LLC. The Company deferred the issuance of 640,930 shares of Class A common stock (“Deferred Shares”) until December 2008. Issuance of a portion of these shares may be further deferred until December 2010 subject to certain conditions. A maximum of 246,508 of the Deferred Shares may be used to settle any outstanding claims or warranties the Company may have against the seller. For purposes of calculating basic net income per share, the impact of 394,422 shares representing the non-contingent portion of the Deferred Shares was included. The additional Deferred Shares of 246,508 were considered if their effect was dilutive.
The Company has excluded certain outstanding stock options, restricted stock and Deferred Shares from the calculation of diluted (loss) income per common share during the periods in which such securities were anti-dilutive. The total number of shares that could potentially dilute income per common share in the future that were not included in the calculation of diluted (loss) income per common share was 5,736,129 and 1,318,413 for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
On April 25, 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”)FAS 142-3, Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets. This FSP amends the factors that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (“SFAS 142”). The intent of this FSP is to improve the consistency between the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS 142 and the period of expected cash flows used to measure the fair value of the asset under SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007), “Business Combinations,” and other U.S. GAAP. This FSP is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is prohibited. The Company is currently evaluating the impact, if any, that this FSP will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
9
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007), “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”), a replacement of FASB Statement No. 141. SFAS 141R is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008 and applies to all business combinations. SFAS 141R provides that, upon initially obtaining control, an acquirer shall recognize 100 percent of the fair values of acquired assets, including goodwill, and assumed liabilities, with only limited exceptions, even if the acquirer has not acquired 100 percent of its target. As a consequence, the current step acquisition model will be eliminated. Additionally, SFAS 141R changes current practice, in part, as follows: (1) contingent consideration arrangements will be fair valued at the acquisition date and included on that basis in the purchase price consideration; (2) transaction costs will be expensed as incurred, rather than capitalized as part of the purchase price; (3) pre-acquisition contingencies, such as legal issues, will generally have to be accounted for in purchase accounting at fair value; and (4) in order to accrue for a restructuring plan in purchase accounting, the requirements in FASB Statement No. 146, “Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities,” would have to be met at the acquisition date. While there is no expected impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements on the accounting for acquisitions completed prior to December 31, 2008, the adoption of SFAS 141R on January 1, 2009 could materially change the accounting for business combinations consummated subsequent to that date.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period financial statements to conform to the current year presentation.
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2. | Discontinued Operations |
As of December 31, 2007, the Company entered into an Asset Sale Agreement and completed the sale of certain assets and certain liabilities of our medical reference publications business, including the publicationsACP Medicine andACS Surgery: Principles and Practice. The assets and liabilities sold are referred to below as “ACS/ACP Business.” ACP Medicine and ACS Surgery are official publications of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Surgeons, respectively. As a result of the sale, the historical financial information of the ACS/ACP Business has been reclassified as discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for the prior year period. The Company will receive net cash proceeds of $2,809, consisting of $1,734 received in the quarter ended March 31, 2008 and the remaining $1,075 to be received through June 30, 2008. The Company incurred approximately $800 of professional fees and other expenses associated with the sale of the ACS/ACP Business. During 2007, the Company recognized a gain of $3,571, net of tax benefit of $177. Summarized operating results for the discontinued operations of the ACS/ACP Business through March 31, 2007 were as follows:
| | | | |
| | Three Months Ended
| |
| | March 31,
| |
| | 2007 | |
|
Revenue | | $ | 1,018 | |
| | | | |
Loss from discontinued operations | | $ | 29 | |
| | | | |
| |
3. | Stock-Based Compensation |
On January 1, 2006, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123, “(Revised 2004): Share-Based Payment” (“SFAS 123R”), which replaces SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation” (“SFAS 123”) and supersedes APB Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees” (“APB 25”). SFAS 123R requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized as compensation expense over the service period (generally the vesting period) in the consolidated financial statements based on their fair values. The Company elected to use the modified prospective transition method
10
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
and as a result prior period results were not restated. Under the modified prospective transition method, awards that were granted or modified on or after January 1, 2006 are measured and accounted for in accordance with SFAS 123R. Unvested stock options and restricted stock awards that were granted prior to January 1, 2006 will continue to be accounted for in accordance with SFAS 123, using the same grant date fair value and same expense attribution method used under SFAS 123, except that all awards are recognized in the results of operations over the remaining vesting periods. The impact of forfeitures that may occur prior to vesting is also estimated and considered in the amount recognized for all stock-based compensation beginning January 1, 2006.
The Company has various stock compensation plans under which directors, officers and other eligible employees receive awards of options to purchase the Company Class A Common Stock and HLTH Common Stock and restricted shares of the Company Class A Common Stock and HLTH Common Stock. The following sections of this note summarize the activity for each of these plans.
HLTH Plans
Certain WebMD employees participate in the stock-based compensation plans of HLTH (collectively, “HLTH Plans”). Under the HLTH Plans certain of the Company employees have received grants of options to purchase HLTH common stock and restricted HLTH common stock. Additionally, all eligible WebMD employees are provided the opportunity to participate in HLTH’s employee stock purchase plan. All unvested options to purchase HLTH common stock and restricted HLTH common stock held by the Company’s employees as of the effective date of the IPO continue to vest under the original terms of those awards. An aggregate of 5,632,631 shares of HLTH Common Stock remained available for grant under the HLTH Plans at March 31, 2008.
Stock Options
Generally, options under the HLTH Plans vest and become exercisable ratably over a three to five year period based on their individual grant dates subject to continued employment on the applicable vesting dates. The majority of options granted under the HLTH Plans expire within ten years from the date of grant. Options are granted at prices not less than the fair market value of HLTH Common Stock on the date of grant. The following table summarizes activity for the HLTH Plans relating to the Company’s employees during the three months ended March 31, 2008:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Weighted
| | | | |
| | | | | Weighted
| | | Average
| | | | |
| | | | | Average
| | | Remaining
| | | Aggregate
| |
| | | | | Exercise Price
| | | Contractual Life
| | | Intrinsic
| |
| | Shares | | | Per Share | | | (In Years) | | | Value(1) | |
|
Outstanding at January 1, 2008 | | | 8,825,988 | | | $ | 13.59 | | | | | | | | | |
Granted | | | — | | | | — | | | | | | | | | |
Exercised | | | (81,676 | ) | | | 8.71 | | | | | | | | | |
Forfeited | | | (227,625 | ) | | | 22.68 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Outstanding at March 31, 2008 | | | 8,516,687 | | | $ | 13.40 | | | | 3.7 | | | $ | 5,332 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Vested and exercisable at the end of the period | | | 8,078,639 | | | $ | 13.65 | | | | 3.5 | | | $ | 4,928 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
(1) | | The aggregate intrinsic value is based on the market price of HLTH Common Stock on March 31, 2008 which was $9.54, less the applicable exercise price of the underlying option. This aggregate intrinsic value represents the amount that would have been realized if all the option holders had exercised their options on March 31, 2008. |
11
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
The fair value of each option granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Expected volatility is based on implied volatility from traded options of HLTH Common Stock combined with historical volatility of HLTH Common Stock. Prior to January 1, 2006, only historical volatility was considered. The expected term represents the period of time that options are expected to be outstanding following their grant date, and was determined using historical exercise data. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve for periods equal to the expected term of the options on the grant date.
Restricted Stock Awards
HLTH Restricted Stock consists of shares of HLTH Common Stock which have been awarded to the Company’s employees with restrictions that cause them to be subject to substantial risk of forfeiture and restrict their sale or other transfer by the employee until they vest. Generally, HLTH Restricted Stock awards vest ratably over a three to five year period based on their individual award dates subject to continued employment on the applicable vesting dates. There was no activity of non-vested HLTH Restricted Stock relating to the Company’s employees during the three months ended March 31, 2008.
Proceeds received by HLTH from the exercise of options to purchase HLTH Common Stock were $712 and $22,657 during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. The intrinsic value related to the exercise of these stock options, as well as the fair value of shares of HLTH Restricted Stock that vested was $252 and $10,204 during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
WebMD Plans
During September 2005, the Company adopted the 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2005 Plan”). In connection with the acquisition of Subimo, LLC in December 2006, the Company adopted the WebMD Health Corp. Long-Term Incentive Plan for Employees of Subimo, LLC (the “Subimo Plan”). The terms of the Subimo Plan are similar to the terms of the 2005 Plan but it has not been approved by the Company’s stockholders. Awards under the Subimo Plan were made on the date of the Company’s acquisition of Subimo, LLC in reliance on the NASDAQ Global Select Market exception to shareholder approval for equity grants to new hires. No additional grants will be made under the Subimo Plan. The 2005 Plan and the Subimo Plan are included in all references as the “WebMD Plans.” The maximum number of shares of the Company Class A Common Stock that may be subject to options or restricted stock awards under the WebMD Plans is 9,480,574, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the WebMD Plans. The Company had an aggregate of 2,492,579 shares of Class A Common Stock available for grant under the WebMD Plans at March 31, 2008.
12
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
Stock Options
Generally, options under the WebMD Plans vest and become exercisable ratably over a four-year period based on their individual grant dates subject to continued employment on the applicable vesting dates. The options granted under the WebMD Plans expire within ten years from the date of grant. Options are granted at prices not less than the fair market value of the Company Class A Common Stock on the date of grant. The following table summarizes activity for the WebMD Plans during the three months ended March 31, 2008:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Weighted
| | | | |
| | | | | Weighted
| | | Average
| | | | |
| | | | | Average
| | | Remaining
| | | Aggregate
| |
| | | | | Exercise Price
| | | Contractual Life
| | | Intrinsic
| |
| | Shares | | | Per Share | | | (In Years) | | | Value(1) | |
|
Outstanding at January 1, 2008 | | | 5,020,551 | | | $ | 27.56 | | | | | | | | | |
Granted | | | 286,250 | | | | 35.07 | | | | | | | | | |
Exercised | | | (33,564 | ) | | | 17.55 | | | | | | | | | |
Forfeited | | | (84,876 | ) | | | 39.77 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Outstanding at March 31, 2008 | | | 5,188,361 | | | $ | 27.84 | | | | 8.1 | | | $ | 17,275 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Vested and exercisable at the end of the period | | | 1,453,339 | | | $ | 21.90 | | | | 7.7 | | | $ | 6,698 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
(1) | | The aggregate intrinsic value is based on the market price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on March 31, 2008 which was $23.57 less the applicable exercise price of the underlying option. This aggregate intrinsic value represents the amount that would have been realized if all the option holders had exercised their options on March 31, 2008. |
The fair value of each option granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model considering the assumptions noted in the following table. Prior to August 1, 2007, expected volatility was based on implied volatility from traded options of stock of comparable companies combined with historical stock price volatility of comparable companies. Beginning on August 1, 2007, expected volatility is based on implied volatility from traded options of the Company Class A Common Stock combined with historical volatility of the Company Class A Common Stock. The expected term represents the period of time that options are expected to be outstanding following their grant date, and was determined using historical exercise data. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve for periods equal to the expected term of the options on the grant date.
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
Expected dividend yield | | | 0 | % | | | 0 | % |
Expected volatility | | | 0.43 | | | | 0.50 | |
Risk free interest rate | | | 2.31 | % | | | 4.66 | % |
Expected term (years) | | | 3.29 | | | | 3.46 | |
Weighted-average fair value of options granted during the period | | $ | 11.51 | | | $ | 18.75 | |
Restricted Stock Awards
The Company Restricted Stock consists of shares of the Company Class A Common Stock which have been awarded to employees with restrictions that cause them to be subject to substantial risk of forfeiture and restrict their sale or other transfer by the employee until they vest. Generally, the Company’s Restricted Stock awards vest ratably over a four year period from their individual award dates subject to continued employment
13
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
on the applicable vesting dates. The following table summarizes the activity of non-vested Company Restricted Stock during the three months ended March 31, 2008:
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Weighted-
| |
| | | | | Average
| |
| | | | | Grant Date
| |
| | Shares | | | Fair Value | |
|
Beginning balance at January 1, 2008 | | | 307,722 | | | $ | 29.46 | |
Granted | | | 4,000 | | | | 35.22 | |
Vested | | | (10,462 | ) | | | 43.74 | |
Forfeited | | | — | | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | |
Ending balance at March 31, 2008 | | | 301,260 | | | $ | 29.04 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Proceeds received from the exercise of options to purchase the Company Class A Common Stock were $589 and $4,458 during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. The intrinsic value related to the exercise of these stock options, as well as the fair value of shares of the Company Restricted Stock that vested was $971 and $5,043 during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
HLTH’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) allows eligible employees of the Company the opportunity to purchase shares of HLTH Common Stock through payroll deductions, up to 15% of a participant’s annual compensation with a maximum of 5,000 shares available per participant during each purchase period. The purchase price of the stock is 85% of the fair market value on the last day of each purchase period. No HLTH Common Stock was issued to the Company’s employees under HLTH’s ESPP during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007.
Other
At the time of the IPO and each year on the anniversary of the IPO, the Company issued shares of its Class A Common Stock to each non-employee director with a value equal to their annual board and committee retainers. The Company recorded $85 of stock-based compensation expense during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 in connection with these issuances.
Additionally, the Company recorded $279 and $257 of stock-based compensation expense during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, in connection with a stock transferability right for shares required to be issued in connection with the acquisition of Subimo, LLC by the Company.
14
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Expense
The following table summarizes the components and classification of stock-based compensation expense:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
HLTH Plans: | | | | | | | | |
Stock options | | $ | 204 | | | $ | 745 | |
Restricted stock | | | 9 | | | | 140 | |
WebMD Plans: | | | | | | | | |
Stock options | | | 2,840 | | | | 3,423 | |
Restricted stock | | | 278 | | | | 687 | |
ESPP | | | 31 | | | | 26 | |
Other | | | 350 | | | | 342 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total stock-based compensation expense | | $ | 3,712 | | | $ | 5,363 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Included in: | | | | | | | | |
Cost of operations | | $ | 1,119 | | | $ | 1,578 | |
Sales and marketing | | | 1,138 | | | | 1,258 | |
General and administrative | | | 1,455 | | | | 2,527 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total stock-based compensation expense | | $ | 3,712 | | | $ | 5,363 | |
| | | | | | | | |
As of March 31, 2008, approximately $404 and $35,842 of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested awards (net of estimated forfeitures) is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 0.69 years and 1.50 years related to the HLTH Plans and the WebMD Plans, respectively.
| |
4. | Transactions with HLTH |
Agreements with HLTH
In connection with the IPO in September 2005, the Company entered into a number of agreements with HLTH governing the future relationship of the companies, including a Services Agreement, a Tax Sharing Agreement and an Indemnity Agreement. These agreements cover a variety of matters, including responsibility for certain liabilities, including tax liabilities, as well as matters related to HLTH providing the Company with administrative services, such as payroll, accounting, tax, employee benefit plan, employee insurance, intellectual property, legal and information processing services.
On February 15, 2006, the Tax Sharing Agreement was amended to provide that HLTH will compensate the Company for any use of the Company’s net operating losses that may result from certain extraordinary transactions, as defined in the Tax Sharing Agreement, including a sale by HLTH of its Emdeon Business Services (“EBS”) and Emdeon Practice Services (“EPS”) operating segments.
On September 14, 2006, HLTH completed the sale of EPS for approximately $565,000 in cash (“EPS Sale”). On November 16, 2006, HLTH completed the sale of a 52% interest in EBS for approximately $1,200,000 in cash (“EBS Sale”). HLTH recognized a taxable gain on the sale of EPS and EBS and utilized a portion of its federal NOL carryforwards to offset the gain on these transactions. Under the Tax Sharing Agreement between HLTH and the Company, the Company was reimbursed for its NOL carryforwards utilized by HLTH in these transactions at the current federal statutory rate of 35%. During February 2007, HLTH reimbursed the Company $140,000 as an estimate of the payment required pursuant to the Tax Sharing
15
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
Agreement with respect to the EPS Sale and the EBS Sale which was subject to adjustment in connection with the filing of the applicable tax returns. During September 2007, HLTH finalized the NOL carryforward attributable to the Company that was utilized as a result of the EPS Sale and the EBS Sale and reimbursed the Company an additional $9,862. These reimbursements were recorded as capital contributions which increased additionalpaid-in-capital at December 31, 2006 and September 30, 2007, respectively.
On February 11, 2008, HLTH announced that it had executed a definitive agreement and closed the sale of its 48% minority interest in EBS to an affiliate of General Atlantic LLC and investment funds managed by Hellman & Friedman LLC. The sale price was $575,000 in cash. HLTH expects to recognize a taxable gain on this transaction and expects to utilize a portion of its federal NOL carryforward to offset a portion of the tax liability resulting from this transaction. The amount of the utilization of the NOL carryforward and related reimbursement to the Company is dependent on numerous factors and cannot be determined at this time.
See Note 10 below for a description of the Merger Agreement entered into between the Company and HLTH.
Charges from the Company to HLTH:
Revenue: The Company sells certain of its products and services to HLTH businesses. These amounts are included in revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007. The Company charges HLTH rates comparable to those charged to third parties for similar products and services.
Charges from HLTH to the Company:
Corporate Services: The Company is charged a services fee (the “Services Fee”) for costs related to corporate services provided by HLTH. The services that HLTH provides include certain administrative services, including payroll, accounting, tax planning and compliance, employee benefit plans, legal matters and information processing. In addition, the Company reimburses HLTH for an allocated portion of certain expenses that HLTH incurs for outside services and similar items, including insurance fees, outside personnel, facilities costs, professional fees, software maintenance fees and telecommunications costs. HLTH has agreed to make the services available to the Company for up to 5 years following the IPO. These expense allocations were determined on a basis that HLTH and the Company consider to be a reasonable assessment of the costs of providing these services, exclusive of any profit margin. The basis the Company and HLTH used to determine these expense allocations required management to make certain judgments and assumptions. These cost allocations are reflected in the table below under the caption “Corporate services — shared services allocation.” The Services Fee is reflected in general and administrative expense within the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Healthcare Expense: The Company is charged for its employees’ participation in HLTH’s healthcare plans. Healthcare expense is charged based on the number of total employees of the Company and reflects HLTH’s average cost of these benefits per employee. Healthcare expense is reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations in the same expense captions as the related salary costs of those employees.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense: Stock-based compensation expense is related to stock option issuances and restricted stock awards of HLTH Common Stock that have been granted to certain employees of the Company. Stock-based compensation expense is allocated on a specific employee identification basis. The expense is reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations in the same expense captions as the related salary costs of those employees. The allocation of stock-based compensation expense related to HLTH Common Stock is recorded as a capital contribution in additional paid-in capital.
16
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
The following table summarizes the allocations reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Months Ended
| |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
Charges from the Company to HLTH: | | | | | | | | |
Intercompany revenue | | $ | — | | | $ | 63 | |
Charges from HLTH to the Company: | | | | | | | | |
Corporate services — shared services allocation | | | 873 | | | | 804 | |
Healthcare expense | | | 1,871 | | | | 1,382 | |
Stock-based compensation expense | | | 244 | | | | 911 | |
| |
5. | Significant Transactions |
America Online, Inc.
In May 2001, HLTH entered into an agreement for a strategic alliance with Time Warner, Inc. (“Time Warner”). Under the agreement, the Company was the primary provider of healthcare content, tools and services for use on certain America Online (“AOL”) properties. The agreement ended on May 1, 2007. Under the agreement, the Company and AOL shared certain revenue from advertising, commerce and programming on the health channels of the AOL properties and on a co-branded service created for AOL by the Company. The Company was entitled to share in revenue and was guaranteed a minimum of $12,000 during each contract year from May 1, 2005 through May 1, 2007, when the agreement ended, for its share of advertising revenue. Included in revenue was $1,876 during the three months ended March 31, 2007 related to sales to third parties of advertising and sponsorship on the AOL health channels, primarily sold through the Company’s sales organization. Also included in revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2007 was revenue of $1,304 related to the guarantee discussed above.
Fidelity Human Resources Services Company LLC
In 2004, the Company entered into an agreement with Fidelity Human Resources Services Company LLC (“FHRS”) to integrate the Company’s private portals product into the services FHRS provides to its clients. FHRS provides human resources administration and benefits administration services to employers. The Company recorded revenue of $2,438 and $2,496 during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Included in accounts receivable as of March 31, 2008 was $2,589 related to the FHRS agreement.
The Company provides health information services to consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers and health plans through the Company’s public and private online portals and health-focused publications. The Company’s two operating segments are:
| | |
| • | Online Services. The Company provides both public and private online portals. The Company’s public portals for consumers enable them to obtain detailed information on a particular disease or condition, check symptoms, locate physicians, store individual healthcare information, receive periodice-newsletters on topics of individual interest, enroll in interactive courses and participate in online communities with peers and experts. The Company’s public portals for physicians and healthcare professionals make it easier for them to access clinical reference sources, stay abreast of the latest clinical information, learn about new treatment options, earn continuing medical education (“CME”) credit and communicate with peers. The Company’s private portals enable employers and health plans to provide their employees and plan members with access to personalized health and benefit information and decision- |
17
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
support technology that helps them make more informed benefit, provider and treatment choices. The Company provides related services for use by such employees and members, including lifestyle education and personalized telephonic health coaching as a result of the acquisition of Summex on June 13, 2006. The Company also providese-detailing promotion and physician recruitment services for use by pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare companies as a result of the acquisition of Medsite on September 11, 2006.
| | |
| • | Publishing and Other Services. The Company publishesThe Little Blue Book,a physician directory; and, since 2005,WebMD the Magazine,a consumer magazine distributed to physician office waiting rooms. Until December 31, 2007, the Company also published medical reference textbooks. See Note 2 Discontinued Operations for further details. |
The performance of the Company’s business is monitored based on earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items. Other non-cash items include non-cash advertising expense and non-cash stock-based compensation expense. Corporate and other overhead functions are allocated to segments on a specifically identifiable basis or other reasonable method of allocation. The Company considers these allocations to be a reasonable reflection of the utilization of costs incurred. The Company does not disaggregate assets for internal management reporting and, therefore, such information is not presented. There are no inter-segment revenue transactions.
18
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
Summarized financial information for each of the Company’s operating segments and a reconciliation to net (loss) income are presented below:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Month Ended
| |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
Revenue | | | | | | | | |
Online Services: | | | | | | | | |
Advertising and sponsorship | | $ | 56,065 | | | $ | 47,421 | |
Licensing | | | 21,923 | | | | 20,115 | |
Content syndication and other | | | 417 | | | | 884 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Online Services | | | 78,405 | | | | 68,420 | |
Publishing and Other Services | | | 3,277 | | | | 3,524 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | $ | 81,682 | | | $ | 71,944 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items | | | | | | | | |
Online Services | | $ | 16,531 | | | $ | 12,992 | |
Publishing and Other Services | | | (754 | ) | | | (358 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | 15,777 | | | | 12,634 | |
Interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items | | | | | | | | |
Interest income | | | 3,453 | | | | 1,985 | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | (6,785 | ) | | | (5,991 | ) |
Non-cash advertising | | | (1,558 | ) | | | (2,320 | ) |
Non-cash stock-based compensation | | | (3,712 | ) | | | (5,363 | ) |
Impairment of auction rate securities | | | (27,406 | ) | | | — | |
Income tax provision | | | (3,104 | ) | | | (210 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | | (23,335 | ) | | | 735 | |
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | | | — | | | | (29 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (23,335 | ) | | $ | 706 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| |
7. | Fair Value of Financial Instruments |
Effective January 1, 2008, the Company adopted SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS 157”), for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. SFAS 157 establishes a common definition for fair value to be applied to existing GAAP that require the use of fair value measurements, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure about such fair value measurements. The adoption of SFAS 157 did not have an impact on the Company’s financial position or operating results, but did expand certain disclosures.
SFAS 157 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Additionally, SFAS 157 requires the use of valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are prioritized below:
| | |
| Level 1: | Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. |
19
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
| | |
| Level 2: | Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. |
| | |
| Level 3: | Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data, which require the use of the reporting entity’s own assumptions. |
The Company did not have any Level 1 or Level 2 assets as of March 31, 2008. The Company’s Level 3 financial assets that were measured at fair value as of March 31, 2008 were Auction Rate Securities of $141,044.
The following table reconciles the beginning and ending balances of the Company’s Level 3 assets which consist of the Company’s auction-rate-securities:
| | | | |
Balance as of January 1, 2008 | | $ | — | |
Transfers to Level 3 | | | 169,200 | |
Redemptions | | | (750 | ) |
Impariment charge included in earnings | | | (27,406 | ) |
| | | | |
Balance as of March 31, 2008 | | $ | 141,044 | |
| | | | |
The Company holds investments in auction rate securities (“ARS”) which have been classified as Level 3 assets as described above. The types of ARS investments the Company owns are backed by student loans, 97% of which are guaranteed under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), and all had credit ratings of AAA or Aaa when purchased. Historically, the fair value of the Company’s ARS investments approximated par value due to the frequent auction periods, generally every 7 to 28 days, which provided liquidity to these investments. However, since February 2008, virtually all auctions involving these securities have failed. The result of a failed auction is that these ARS will continue to pay interest in accordance with their terms at each respective auction date; however liquidity of the securities will be limited until there is a successful auction, the issuer redeems the securities, the securities mature or until such time as other markets for these ARS investments develop. The Company concluded that estimated fair value of the ARS no longer approximates the par value due to the lack of liquidity. The securities have been classified within Level 3 as their valuation requires substantial judgment and estimation of factors that are not currently observable in the market due to the lack of trading in the securities.
The Company estimated the fair value of its ARS investments using an income approach valuation technique. Using this approach, expected future cash flows were calculated over the expected life of each security and were discounted to a single present value using a market required rate of return. Some of the more significant assumptions made in the present value calculations were (i) the estimated weighted average lives for the loan portfolios underlying each individual ARS, which range from 4 to 14 years and (ii) the required rates of return used to discount the estimated future cash flows over the estimated life of each security, which considered both the credit quality for each individual ARS and the market liquidity for these investments. The Company concluded the fair value of its ARS was $141,044 compared to a par value of $168,450 as of March 31, 2008. The impairment in value, or $27,406, was considered to be other-than-temporary, and accordingly, was recorded as an impairment charge within the statement of operations during the three months ended March 31, 2008.
In making the determination that the impairment was other-than-temporary the Company considered (i) the current market liquidity for ARS, particularly student loan backed ARS, (ii) the long-term maturities of the loan portfolios underlying each ARS owned by the Company which, on a weighted average basis, extend to as many as 14 years and (iii) the ability and intent of the Company to hold its ARS investments until sufficient liquidity returns to the auction rate market to enable the sale of these securities or until the investments mature.
20
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
The Company continues to monitor the market for auction rate securities as well as the individual ARS investments it owns. The Company may be required to record additional losses in future periods if the fair value of its ARS deteriorate further.
| |
8. | Goodwill and Intangible Assets |
The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2007 and the three months ended March 31, 2008 are as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Publishing
| | | | |
| | Online
| | | and Other
| | | | |
| | Services | | | Services | | | Total | |
|
Balance as of January 1, 2007 | | $ | 213,983 | | | $ | 11,045 | | | $ | 225,028 | |
Acquisitions during the period | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Purchase price allocations and other adjustments | | | (3,599 | ) | | | — | | | | (3,599 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balance as of December 31, 2007 | | | 210,384 | | | | 11,045 | | | | 221,429 | |
Acquisitions during the period | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
Purchase price allocations and other adjustments | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balance as of March 31, 2008 | | $ | 210,384 | | | $ | 11,045 | | | $ | 221,429 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Intangible assets subject to amortization consist of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | March 31, 2008 | | | December 31, 2007 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Weighted
| | | | | | | | | | | | Weighted
| |
| | Gross
| | | | | | | | | Average
| | | Gross
| | | | | | | | | Average
| |
| | Carrying
| | | Accumulated
| | | | | | Remaining
| | | Carrying
| | | Accumulated
| | | | | | Remaining
| |
| | Amount | | | Amortization | | | Net | | | Useful Life(a) | | | Amount | | | Amortization | | | Net | | | Useful Life(a) | |
|
Content | | $ | 15,954 | | | $ | (13,071 | ) | | $ | 2,883 | | | | 2.0 | | | $ | 15,954 | | | $ | (12,581 | ) | | $ | 3,373 | | | | 2.1 | |
Customer relationships | | | 33,191 | | | | (11,091 | ) | | | 22,100 | | | | 9.1 | | | | 33,191 | | | | (10,183 | ) | | | 23,008 | | | | 9.2 | |
Technology and patents | | | 14,967 | | | | (11,077 | ) | | | 3,890 | | | | 1.3 | | | | 14,967 | | | | (10,126 | ) | | | 4,841 | | | | 1.5 | |
Trade names | | | 7,817 | | | | (2,924 | ) | | | 4,893 | | | | 7.5 | | | | 7,817 | | | | (2,725 | ) | | | 5,092 | | | | 7.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | $ | 71,929 | | | $ | (38,163 | ) | | $ | 33,766 | | | | 7.3 | | | $ | 71,929 | | | $ | (35,615 | ) | | $ | 36,314 | | | | 7.3 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | |
(a) | | The calculation of the weighted average remaining useful life is based on the net book value and the remaining amortization period of each respective intangible asset. |
Amortization expense was $2,548 and $3,214 during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Aggregate amortization expense for intangible assets is estimated to be:
| | | | |
Year ending December 31: | | | | |
2008 (April 1st to December 31st) | | $ | 7,167 | |
2009 | | | 6,401 | |
2010 | | | 3,337 | |
2011 | | | 2,464 | |
2012 | | | 2,464 | |
Thereafter | | | 11,933 | |
| |
9. | Commitments and Contingencies |
In the normal course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various claims and legal proceedings. While the ultimate resolution of these matters, including those discussed in Note 12 to the
21
WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s 2007 Annual Report onForm 10-K has yet to be determined, the Company does not believe that their outcomes will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.
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10. | Pending Merger with HLTH |
On February 20, 2008, HLTH and the Company entered into a Merger Agreement, pursuant to which HLTH will merge into the Company (“HLTH Merger”), with the Company continuing as the surviving company. In the HLTH Merger, each outstanding share of HLTH common stock will be converted into 0.1979 shares of the Company’s common stock and $6.89 in cash, which cash amount is subject to a downward adjustment as described below (“Merger Consideration”). The shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock currently outstanding will remain outstanding and will be unchanged in the HLTH Merger. The HLTH Merger will eliminate both the controlling class of the Company’s stock held by HLTH and the Company’s existing dual-class stock structure. The terms of the Merger Agreement were negotiated between HLTH and a Special Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The Merger Agreement was approved by the Company’s Board, based on the recommendations of the Special Committee and by the Board of HLTH.
The cash portion of the Merger Consideration will be funded from cash and investments at the Company and HLTH, and proceeds from HLTH’s anticipated sales of its ViPS and Porex businesses. The cash portion of the Merger Consideration is subject to downward adjustment prior to the closing, based on matters relating to HLTH’s investment in certain ARS, as described below. If either ViPS or Porex has not been sold at the time the HLTH Merger is ready to be consummated, the Company may issue up to $250,000 in redeemable notes to the HLTH shareholders in lieu of a portion of the cash consideration otherwise payable in the HLTH Merger. The notes would bear interest at a rate of 11% per annum, payable in kind annually in arrears. The notes would be subject to mandatory redemption by the Company from the proceeds of the divestiture of the remaining ViPS or Porex business. The redemption price would be equal to the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed plus accrued but unpaid interest through the date of the redemption.
Completion of the HLTH Merger is subject to: HLTH and the Company receiving required shareholder approvals; a requirement that the surviving company have an amount of cash, as of the closing at least equal to an agreed upon threshold, calculated in accordance with a formula contained in the Merger Agreement; completion of the sale by HLTH of either ViPS or Porex; and completion of the sale of HLTH’s ARS investments (or the availability of certain alternatives described below); and other customary closing conditions. HLTH, which owns shares of the Company constituting approximately 96% of the total number of votes represented by outstanding shares, has agreed to vote its shares of the Company in favor of the HLTH Merger.
Following the HLTH Merger, the Company as surviving corporation will assume the obligations of HLTH under HLTH’s 31/8% Convertible Notes due September 1, 2025 and HLTH’s 1.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due June 15, 2023 (“Notes”). In the event a holder of these Notes converts these Notes into shares of HLTH common stock pursuant to the terms of the applicable indenture prior to the effective time of the HLTH Merger, those shares would be treated in the HLTH Merger like all other shares of HLTH common stock. In the event a holder of the Notes converts those Notes pursuant to the applicable indenture following the effective time of the HLTH Merger, those Notes would be converted into the right to receive the HLTH Merger Consideration payable in respect of the HLTH shares into which such Notes would have been convertible.
On May 6, 2008, HLTH and the Company entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Merger Agreement, which modifies certain provisions of the Merger Agreement to reflect the flexibility and additional liquidity afforded by the Credit Facility that HLTH has entered into, which is described in Note 11 (the “HLTH Credit Facility”). Under the Merger Agreement, as amended, HLTH is not required to sell its ARS
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WEBMD HEALTH CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
holdings as a condition to closing if the outstanding loan amount, under the HLTH Credit Facility, is equal to 75% of the face amount of the ARS investments held by HLTH at the effective time of the Merger or if HLTH would be capable of satisfying, as of that time, all of the conditions to making a drawdown of that amount. In either such case, the maximum reduction in the aggregate cash consideration payable in the Merger would be fixed at $48.6 million (which is 25% of the face amount of HLTH’s ARS holdings as of the date of this Quarterly Report, excluding the Company’s ARS holdings), or approximately $0.27 per share (based on the number of shares of HLTH Common Stock outstanding as of the date of this Quarterly Report). To the extent that HLTH, instead, sells some or all of its ARS holdings for greater than 75% of the face amount, the reduction in the aggregate cash portion of the Merger Consideration with respect to the ARS that are sold would be based on the actual sale price for those holdings. The Amendment was approved by the Boards of Directors of HLTH and WebMD and by a Special Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.
On May 6, 2008, the Company held investments in certain ARS backed by student loans with a face amount of approximately $167,800. The Company has entered into a non-recourse credit facility from Citigroup secured by its ARS holdings (including, in some circumstances, interest payable on the ARS holdings), that will allow the Company to borrow up to 75% of the face amount of the ARS holdings pledged as collateral under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is governed by a loan agreement, dated as of May 6, 2008, containing customary representations and warranties of the borrower and certain affirmative covenants and negative covenants relating to the pledged collateral. Under the loan agreement, the borrower and the lender may, in certain circumstances, cause the pledged collateral to be sold, with the proceeds of any such sale required to be applied in full immediately to repayment of amounts borrowed.
No borrowings have been made under the Credit Facility to date. The Company can make borrowings under its Credit Facility until May 2009. The interest rate applicable to such borrowings will beone-month LIBOR plus 250 basis points. Any borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility after March 2009 become demand loans, subject to 60 days notice, with recourse only to the pledged collateral.
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ITEM 2. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
This Item 2 contains forward-looking statements with respect to possible events, outcomes or results that are, and are expected to continue to be, subject to risks, uncertainties and contingencies, including those identified in this Item. See “Forward-Looking Statements” on page 3.
Overview
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, or MD&A, is provided as a supplement to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report and is intended to provide an understanding of our results of operations, financial condition and changes in financial condition. Our MD&A is organized as follows:
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| • | Introduction. This section provides a general description of our company and operating segments, a description of pending corporate transactions and other recent transactions, other significant developments and trends, and a discussion of how seasonal factors may impact the timing of our revenue. |
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| • | Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates. This section discusses those accounting policies that are considered important to the evaluation and reporting of our financial condition and results of operations, and whose application requires us to exercise subjective and often complex judgments in making estimates and assumptions. |
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| • | Transactions with HLTH. This section describes the services that we receive from HLTH Corporation (“HLTH”) and the costs of these services, as well as the fees we charge HLTH for our services and our tax sharing agreement with HLTH. |
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| • | Recent Accounting Pronouncements. This section provides a summary of the most recent authoritative accounting standards and guidance that have either been recently adopted by our company or may be adopted in the future. |
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| • | Results of Operations and Results of Operations by Operating Segment. These sections provide our analysis and outlook for the significant line items on our statements of operations, as well as other information that we deem meaningful to understand our results of operations on both a consolidated basis and an operating segment basis. |
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| • | Liquidity and Capital Resources. This section provides an analysis of our liquidity and cash flows, as well as a discussion of our commitments that existed as of March 31, 2008. |
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| • | Factors That May Affect Our Future Financial Condition or Results of Operations. This section describes circumstances or events that could have a negative effect on our financial condition or results of operations, or that could change, for the worse, existing trends in some or all of our businesses. The factors discussed in this section are in addition to factors that may be described elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. |
In this MD&A, dollar amounts are in thousands, unless otherwise noted.
Introduction
Our Company
We are a leading provider of health information services to consumers, physicians and other healthcare professionals, employers and health plans. We have organized our business into two operating segments as follows:
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| • | Online Services. We own and operate both public and private online portals. Our public portals enable consumers to become more informed about healthcare choices and assist them in playing an active role in managing their health. The public portals also enable physicians and other healthcare professionals to improve their clinical knowledge and practice of medicine, as well as their communication with patients. Our public portals generate revenue primarily through the sale of advertising and sponsorship products, including continuing medical education (which we refer to as CME) services. Our sponsors and advertisers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and consumer products |
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| | companies. We provide information and services that enable employees and members, respectively, to make more informed benefit, treatment and provider decisions through our private portals for employers and health plans. We also provide related services for use by such employees and members, including lifestyle education and personalized telephonic health coaching as a result of the acquisition of Summex on June 13, 2006. We generate revenue from our private portals through the licensing of these portals to employers and health plans either directly or through distributors. We also distribute our online content and services to other entities and generate revenue from these arrangements through the sale of advertising and sponsorship products and content syndication fees. We also providee-detailing promotion and physician recruitment services for use by pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare companies as a result of the acquisition of Medsite on September 11, 2006. |
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| • | Publishing and Other Services. We provide several offline products and services:The Little Blue Book,a physician directory; andWebMD the Magazine,a consumer-targeted publication launched in early 2005 that we distribute free of charge to physician office waiting rooms. We generate revenue from sales ofThe Little Blue Bookdirectories and advertisements in those directories, and sales of advertisements inWebMD the Magazine.Until December 31, 2007, we publishedACP Medicine andACS Surgery: Principles of Practice,our medical reference textbooks. We sold this business in 2007 and it has now been reflected as a discontinued operation in our financial statements. Our Publishing and Other Services segment complements our Online Services segment and extends the reach of our brand and our influence among health-involved consumers and clinically-active physicians. |
Pending HLTH Merger
Description of the HLTH Merger. On February 20, 2008, HLTH and WebMD entered into a merger agreement, pursuant to which HLTH will merge into WebMD (which we refer to as the HLTH Merger), with WebMD continuing as the surviving company. In the HLTH Merger, each outstanding share of HLTH common stock will be converted into 0.1979 shares of WebMD’s common stock and $6.89 in cash, which cash amount is subject to a downward adjustment as described below (which we refer to as the Merger Consideration). The shares of WebMD’s Class A Common Stock currently outstanding will remain outstanding and will be unchanged in the HLTH Merger. The HLTH Merger will eliminate both the controlling class of WebMD’s stock held by HLTH and WebMD’s existing dual-class stock structure. The terms of the Merger Agreement were negotiated between HLTH and a Special Committee of WebMD’s Board of Directors. The Merger Agreement was approved by WebMD’s Board, based on the recommendations of the Special Committee and by the Board of HLTH.
The cash portion of the Merger Consideration will be funded from cash and investments at WebMD and HLTH, and proceeds from HLTH’s anticipated sales of its ViPS and Porex businesses. The cash portion of the Merger Consideration is subject to downward adjustment prior to the closing, based on matters relating to HLTH’s investment in certain auction rate securities (“ARS”), as described below. If either ViPS or Porex has not been sold at the time the HLTH Merger is ready to be consummated, WebMD may issue up to $250,000 in redeemable notes to the HLTH shareholders in lieu of a portion of the cash consideration otherwise payable in the HLTH Merger. The notes would bear interest at a rate of 11% per annum, payable in kind annually in arrears. The notes would be subject to mandatory redemption by WebMD from the proceeds of the divestiture of the remaining ViPS or Porex business. The redemption price would be equal to the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed plus accrued but unpaid interest through the date of the redemption.
Completion of the HLTH Merger is subject to: HLTH and WebMD receiving required shareholder approvals; a requirement that the surviving company have an amount of cash, as of the closing at least equal to an agreed upon threshold, calculated in accordance with a formula contained in the Merger Agreement; completion of the sale by HLTH of either ViPS or Porex; and completion of the sale of HLTH’s ARS investments (or the availability of certain alternatives described below); and other customary closing conditions. HLTH, which owns shares of WebMD constituting approximately 96% of the total number of votes represented by outstanding shares, has agreed to vote its shares of WebMD in favor of the HLTH Merger.
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Following the HLTH Merger, WebMD as surviving corporation will assume the obligations of HLTH under HLTH’s 31/8% Convertible Notes due September 1, 2025 and HLTH’s 1.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due June 15, 2023 (which we refer to as Notes). In the event a holder of these Notes converts these Notes into shares of HLTH common stock pursuant to the terms of the applicable indenture prior to the effective time of the HLTH Merger, those shares would be treated in the HLTH Merger like all other shares of HLTH common stock. In the event a holder of the Notes converts those Notes pursuant to the applicable indenture following the effective time of the HLTH Merger, those Notes would be converted into the right to receive the HLTH Merger Consideration payable in respect of the HLTH shares into which such Notes would have been convertible.
On May 6, 2008, HLTH and WebMD entered into an amendment (which we refer to as the Amendment) to the Merger Agreement, which modifies certain provisions of the Merger Agreement to reflect the flexibility and additional liquidity afforded by the Credit Facility that HLTH has entered into, which is described in below under “—Introductions — Other Recent Transactions — Credit Facilities” (which we refer to as the HLTH Credit Facility). Under the Merger Agreement, as amended, HLTH is not required to sell its ARS holdings as a condition to closing if the outstanding loan amount, under the HLTH Credit Facility, is equal to 75% of the face amount of the ARS investments held by HLTH at the effective time of the Merger or if HLTH would be capable of satisfying, as of that time, all of the conditions to making a drawdown of that amount. In either such case, the maximum reduction in the aggregate cash consideration payable in the Merger would be fixed at $48,600 (which is 25% of the face amount of HLTH’s ARS holdings as of the date of this Quarterly Report, excluding WebMD’s ARS holdings), or approximately $0.27 per share (based on the number of shares of HLTH Common Stock outstanding as of the date of this Quarterly Report). To the extent that HLTH, instead, sells some or all of its ARS holdings for greater than 75% of the face amount, the reduction in the aggregate cash portion of the Merger Consideration with respect to the ARS that are sold would be based on the actual sale price for those holdings. The Amendment was approved by the Boards of Directors of HLTH and WebMD and by a Special Committee of WebMD’s Board of Directors.
Strategic Considerations Relating to the HLTH Merger. In late 2007, HLTH’s Board of Directors initiated the process leading to the entry into the Merger Agreement with WebMD because it believed that the primary reason of many of the holders of HLTH common stock for owning those shares was HLTH’s controlling interest in WebMD and that the value of HLTH’s other businesses was not adequately reflected in the trading price of HLTH common stock. Accordingly, HLTH sought to negotiate a transaction with the Special Committee of the Board of WebMD that would allow HLTH’s stockholders to participate more directly in the ownership of WebMD and would unlock the value of the other HLTH assets. Cash on hand at HLTH and WebMD (including proceeds from the sales of ViPS, Porex and HLTH’s remaining 48% interest in EBS) would be used as a portion of the consideration in the HLTH Merger, reducing the need for issuance of shares of WHC common stock. Upon completion of the HLTH Merger, as structured in the definitive Merger Agreement, HLTH stockholders will own approximately 80% of the outstanding common stock of WebMD, based on shares currently outstanding at HLTH and WebMD. The HLTH Merger will eliminate HLTH’s controlling interest in WebMD, and is expected to enhance the liquidity of WebMD shares by significantly increasing the public float. In connection with the entry by HLTH and WebMD into the Merger Agreement, the HLTH Board made a determination to divest Porex and VIPS (which divestitures are not, however, dependent on the merger occurring). HLTH’s decisions relating to the divestitures of ViPS, Porex and HLTH’s 48% interest in EBS were based on the corporate strategic considerations described above and not the performance of, or underlying business conditions affecting, the respective businesses.
Other Recent Transactions
Credit Facility. On May 6, 2008, WebMD held investments in certain ARS backed by student loans with a face amount of approximately $167,800. WebMD has entered into a non-recourse credit facility from Citigroup secured by its ARS holdings (including, in some circumstances, interest payable on the ARS
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holdings), that will allow WebMD to borrow up to 75% of the face amount of the ARS holdings pledged as collateral under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility is governed by a loan agreement, dated as of May 6, 2008, containing customary representations and warranties of the borrower and certain affirmative covenants and negative covenants relating to the pledged collateral. Under the loan agreement, the borrower and the lender may, in certain circumstances, cause the pledged collateral to be sold, with the proceeds of any such sale required to be applied in full immediately to repayment of amounts borrowed.
No borrowings have been made under the Credit Facility to date. WebMD can make borrowings under its Credit Facility until May 2009. The interest rate applicable to such borrowings will beone-month LIBOR plus 250 basis points. Any borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility after March 2009 become demand loans, subject to 60 days notice, with recourse only to the pledged collateral.
HLTH has also entered into a credit facility with Citigroup, on substantially similar terms and conditions.
Sale of ACP Medicine and ACS Surgery. As of December 31, 2007, WebMD entered into an Asset Sale Agreement and completed the sale of certain assets and certain liabilities of our medical reference publications business, including the publicationsACP Medicine andACS Surgery: Principles and Practice. The assets and liabilities sold are referred to below as the “ACS/ACP Business.” ACP Medicine and ACS Surgery are official publications of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Surgeons, respectively. WebMD will receive net cash proceeds of $2,809, consisting of $1,734 received in the quarter ended March 31, 2008 and the remaining $1,075 to be received through June 30, 2008. WebMD incurred approximately $800 of professional fees and other expenses associated with the sale of the ACS/ACP Business. In connection with the sale, WebMD recognized a gain of $3,571 as of December 31, 2007. The decision to divest the ACS/ACP Business was made because management determined that it was not a good fit with our core business.
Other Significant Developments and Trends
Impairment of Auction Rate Securities. WebMD holds investments in auction rate securities (ARS). The types of ARS investments WebMD owns are backed by student loans, 97% of which are guaranteed under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), and all had credit ratings of AAA or Aaa when purchased. Historically, the fair value of our ARS investments approximated par value due to the frequent auction periods, generally every 7 to 28 days, which provided liquidity to these investments. However, since February 2008, virtually all auctions involving these securities have failed. The result of a failed auction is that these ARS will continue to pay interest in accordance with their terms at each respective auction date; however liquidity of the securities will be limited until there is a successful auction, the issuer redeems the securities, the securities mature or until such time as other markets for these ARS investments develop. We concluded that the estimated fair value of the ARS no longer approximates the par value due to the lack of liquidity.
We concluded the fair value of our ARS was $141,044, compared to a par value of $168,450 as of March 31, 2008. The impairment in value, or $27,406 was considered to be other-than-temporary, and accordingly, was recorded as an impairment charge within the statement of operations during the three months ended March 31, 2008. We continue to monitor the market for auction rate securities as well as the individual ARS investments we own. We may be required to record additional losses in future periods if the fair value of our ARS deteriorate further.
Use of the Internet by Consumer and Physicians. The Internet has emerged as a major communications medium and has already fundamentally changed many sectors of the economy, including the marketing and sales of financial services, travel, and entertainment, among others. The Internet is also changing the healthcare industry and has transformed how consumers and physicians find and utilize healthcare information. As consumers are required to assume greater financial responsibility for rising healthcare costs, the Internet serves as a valuable resource by providing them with immediate access to searchable and dynamic interactive content to check symptoms, assess risks, understand diseases, find providers and evaluate treatment options. The Internet has also become a primary source of information for physicians seeking to improve clinical practice and is growing relative to traditional information sources, such as conferences, meetings and offline journals.
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Increased Online Marketing and Education Spending for Healthcare Products. Pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies spend large amounts each year marketing their products and educating consumers and physicians about them, however, only a small portion of this amount is currently spent on online services. We believe that these companies, which comprise the majority of our advertisers and sponsors, are becoming increasingly aware of the effectiveness of the Internet relative to traditional media in providing health, clinical and product-related information to consumers and physicians, and that this increasing awareness will result in increasing demand for our services. However, notwithstanding our general expectation for increased demand, our advertising and sponsorship revenue may vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, many of which are not in our control, and some of which may be difficult to forecast accurately, including the following:
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| • | The majority of our advertising and sponsorship contracts are for terms of approximately four to twelve months. We have relatively few longer term advertising and sponsorship contracts. In addition, we have recently noted a trend, among some of our advertisers and sponsors, of seeking to enter into shorter term contracts than they had entered into in the past. |
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| • | The time between the date of initial contact with a potential advertiser or sponsor regarding a specific program and the execution of a contract with the advertiser or sponsor for that program may be subject to delays over which we have little or no control, including as a result of budgetary constraints of the advertiser or sponsor or their need for internal approvals. |
Other factors that may affect the timing of contracting for specific programs with advertisers and sponsors, or receipt of revenue under such contracts, include: the timing of FDA approval for new products or for new approved uses for existing products; the timing of FDA approval of generic products that compete with existing brand name products; the timing of withdrawals of products from the market; seasonal factors relating to the prevalence of specific health conditions and other seasonal factors that may affect the timing of promotional campaigns for specific products; and the scheduling of conferences for physicians and other healthcare professionals.
Changes in Health Plan Design; Health Management Initiatives. In a healthcare market where a greater share of the responsibility for healthcare costs and decision-making has been increasingly shifting to consumers, use of information technology (including personal health records) to assist consumers in making informed decisions about healthcare has also increased. We believe that through our WebMD Health and Benefits Manager tools, including our personal health record application, we are well positioned to play a role in this consumer-directed healthcare environment, and these services will be a significant driver for the growth of our private portals during the next several years. However, our growth strategy depends, in part, on increasing usage of our private portal services by our employer and health plan clients’ employees and members, respectively. Increasing usage of our services requires us to continue to deliver and improve the underlying technology and develop new and updated applications, features and services. In addition, we face competition in the area of healthcare decision-support tools and online health management applications and health information services. Many of our competitors have greater financial, technical, product development, marketing and other resources than we do, and may be better known than we are.
The healthcare industry in the United States and relationships among healthcare payers, providers and consumers are very complicated. In addition, the Internet and the market for online services are relatively new and still evolving. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the trends identified above will continue or that the expected benefits to our businesses from our responses to those trends will be achieved. In addition, the market for healthcare information services is highly competitive and not only are our existing competitors seeking to benefit from these same trends, but the trends may also attract additional competitors.
Seasonality
The timing of our revenue is affected by seasonal factors. Advertising and sponsorship revenue within our Online Services segment is seasonal, primarily due to the annual budget approval process of the advertising and sponsorship clients of our public portals. This portion of our revenue is usually the lowest in the first quarter of each calendar year, and increases during each consecutive quarter throughout the year. Our private
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portal licensing revenue is historically higher in the second half of the year as new customers are typically added during this period in conjunction with their annual open enrollment periods for employee benefits. Finally, the annual distribution cycle within our Publishing and Other Services segment results in a significant portion of our revenue in this segment being recognized in the second and third quarter of each calendar year. The timing of revenue in relation to our expenses, much of which do not vary directly with revenue, has an impact on cost of operations, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue in each calendar quarter.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our MD&A is based upon our unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements, which were prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of the unaudited consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience, current business factors, and various other assumptions that we believe are necessary to consider to form a basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We are subject to uncertainties such as the impact of future events, economic and political factors, and changes in our business environment; therefore, actual results could differ from these estimates. Accordingly, the accounting estimates used in preparation of our financial statements will change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as our operating environment changes. Changes in estimates are made when circumstances warrant. Such changes in estimates and refinements in estimation methodologies are reflected in reported results of operations; if material, the effects of changes in estimates are disclosed in the notes to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to revenue recognition, the allowance for doubtful accounts, the carrying value of prepaid advertising, the carrying value of long-lived assets (including goodwill and intangible assets), the carrying value of marketable securities, the amortization period of long-lived assets (excluding goodwill), the carrying value, capitalization and amortization of software and Web site development costs, the provision for income taxes and related deferred tax accounts, certain accrued expenses and contingencies, share-based compensation to employees and transactions with HLTH.
We believe the following reflects our critical accounting policies and our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our unaudited consolidated financial statements:
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| • | Revenue Recognition. Revenue from advertising is recognized as advertisements are delivered or as publications are distributed. Revenue from sponsorship arrangements, content syndication and distribution arrangements, and licenses of healthcare management tools and private portals as well as related health coaching services are recognized ratably over the term of the applicable agreement. Revenue from the sponsorship of CME is recognized over the period we substantially complete our contractual deliverables as determined by the applicable agreements. When contractual arrangements contain multiple elements, revenue is allocated to each element based on its relative fair value determined using prices charged when elements are sold separately. In certain instances where fair value does not exist for all the elements, the amount of revenue allocated to the delivered elements equals the total consideration less the fair value of the undelivered elements. In instances where fair value does not exist for the undelivered elements, revenue is recognized when the last element is delivered. |
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| • | Long-Lived Assets. Our long-lived assets consist of property and equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets. Goodwill and other intangible assets arise from the acquisitions we have made. The amount assigned to intangible assets is subjective and based on our estimates of the future benefit of the intangible assets using accepted valuation techniques, such as discounted cash flow and replacement cost models. Our long-lived assets, excluding goodwill, are amortized over their estimated useful lives, which we determined based on the consideration of several factors including the period of time the asset is expected to remain in service. We evaluate the carrying value and remaining useful lives of long-lived assets, excluding goodwill, whenever indicators of impairment are present. We evaluate the |
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| | carrying value of goodwill annually, and whenever indicators of impairment are present. We use a discounted cash flow approach to determine the fair value of goodwill. There was no impairment of goodwill noted as a result of our impairment testing in 2007. |
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| • | Fair Value of Investments. We hold investments in ARS which are backed by student loans, 97% of which are guaranteed under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), and all of which had credit ratings of AAA or Aaa when purchased. Historically, the fair value of our ARS investments approximated par value due to the frequent auction periods, generally every 7 to 28 days, which provided liquidity to these investments. However, since February 2008, virtually all auctions involving these securities have failed. The result of a failed auction is that these ARS will continue to pay interest in accordance with their terms at each respective auction date; however liquidity of the securities will be limited until there is a successful auction, the issuer redeems the securities, the securities mature or until such time as other markets for these ARS investments develop. We cannot be certain regarding the amount of time it will take for an auction market or other markets to develop. Accordingly, we concluded that the estimated fair value of the ARS no longer approximates the par value due to the lack of liquidity. |
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| | We estimated the fair value of our ARS investments using an income approach valuation technique. Using this approach, expected future cash flows were calculated over the expected life of each security and were discounted to a single present value using a market required rate of return. Some of the more significant assumptions made in the present value calculations include (i) the estimated weighted average lives for the loan portfolios underlying each individual ARS, which range from 4 to 14 years and (ii) the required rates of return used to discount the estimated future cash flows over the estimated life of each security, which considered both the credit quality for each individual ARS and the market liquidity for these investments. We concluded the fair value of our ARS investments was $141,044, compared to a par value of $168,450 as of March 31, 2008. The impairment in value, or $27,406 was considered to be other-than-temporary, and accordingly, was recorded as an impairment charge within the statement of operations during the three months ended March 31, 2008. |
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| | Our auction rate securities have been classified as Level 3 assets in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements,” as their valuation requires substantial judgment and estimation of factors that are not currently observable in the market due to the lack of trading in the securities. If different assumptions were used for the various inputs to the valuation approach including, but not limited to, assumptions involving the estimated lives of the ARS investments, the estimated cash flows over those estimated lives, and the estimated discount rates applied to those cash flows, the estimated fair value of these investments could be significantly higher or lower than the fair value we determined. We continue to monitor the market for auction rate securities as well as the individual ARS investments we own. We may be required to record additional losses in future periods if the fair value of our ARS deteriorate further. |
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| • | Stock-Based Compensation. In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (which we refer to as FASB) issued SFAS No. 123, “(Revised 2004): Share-Based Payment” (which we refer to as SFAS 123R), which replaces SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” (which we refer to as SFAS 123) and supersedes APB Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees.” SFAS 123R requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized as compensation expense over the service period (generally the vesting period) in the consolidated financial statements based on their fair values. We adopted SFAS 123R on January 1, 2006 and elected to use the modified prospective transition method and as a result, prior period results were not restated. Under the modified prospective method, awards that were granted or modified on or after January 1, 2006 are measured and accounted for in accordance with SFAS 123R. Unvested stock options and restricted stock awards that were granted prior to January 1, 2006 will continue to be accounted for in accordance with SFAS 123, using the same grant date fair value and same expense attribution method used under SFAS 123, except that all awards are recognized in the results of operations over the remaining vesting periods. |
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| | The fair value of each option granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The assumptions used in this model are expected dividend yield, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected term. The expected volatility for stock options to purchase HLTH Common Stock is based on implied volatility from traded options of HLTH Common Stock combined with historical volatility of HLTH Common Stock. Prior to August 1, 2007, expected volatility for stock options to purchase our Class A Common Stock was based on implied volatility from traded options of stock of comparable companies combined with historical stock price volatility of comparable companies. Beginning on August 1, 2007, expected volatility is based on implied volatility from traded options of our Class A Common Stock combined with historical volatility of our Class A Common Stock. |
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| • | Deferred Tax Assets. Our deferred tax assets are comprised primarily of net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards. At December 31, 2007, we had NOL carryforwards of approximately $668,000 on a separate return basis. At December 31, 2007, we had NOL carryforwards of $272,000 on a legal entity basis. This reflects the utilization of approximately $430,000 by the HLTH consolidated group as a result of the sale of certain HLTH businesses. Subject to certain limitations, these loss carryforwards may be used to offset taxable income in future periods, reducing the amount of taxes we might otherwise be required to pay. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, after consideration of the relevant factors, no valuation allowance was reversed. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, management determined the probability of realizing deferred tax assets, taking into consideration factors including historical operating results, expectations of future earnings and taxable income. Management will continue to evaluate the need for a valuation allowance and, in the future should management determine that realization of the net deferred tax asset is more likely than not, some or all of the remaining valuation allowance will be reversed, and our effective tax rate may be reduced by such reversal. |
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| • | Transactions with HLTH. As discussed further below, our expenses reflect a services fee for an allocation of costs for corporate services provided by HLTH. Our expenses also reflect the allocation of a portion of the cost of HLTH’s healthcare plans and the allocation of stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock awards and other stock-based compensation. We are included in the consolidated federal tax return filed by HLTH. Additionally, our revenue includes revenue from HLTH for services we provide. |
Transactions with HLTH
Agreements with HLTH
In connection with our IPO in September 2005, we entered into a number of agreements with HLTH governing the future relationship of the companies, including a Services Agreement, a Tax Sharing Agreement and an Indemnity Agreement. These agreements cover a variety of matters, including responsibility for certain liabilities, including tax liabilities, as well as matters related to HLTH providing us with administrative services, such as payroll, accounting, tax, employee benefit plan, employee insurance, intellectual property, legal and information processing services.
On February 15, 2006, the Tax Sharing Agreement was amended to provide that HLTH will compensate us for any use of our NOLs that may result from certain extraordinary transactions, as defined in the Tax Sharing Agreement, including the sales by HLTH of its Emdeon Business Services (“EBS”) and Emdeon Practice Services (“EPS”) operating segments.
On September 14, 2006, HLTH completed the sale of EPS for approximately $565,000 in cash (“EPS Sale”). On November 16, 2006, HLTH completed the sale of a 52% interest in EBS for approximately $1,200,000 in cash (“EBS Sale”). HLTH recognized a taxable gain on the sale of EPS and EBS and utilized a portion of its federal NOL carryforwards to offset the gain on these transactions. Under the tax sharing agreement between HLTH and us, we were reimbursed for our NOL carryforwards utilized by HLTH in these transactions at the current federal statutory rate of 35%. During February 2007, HLTH reimbursed us $140,000 as an estimate of the payment required pursuant to the tax sharing agreement with respect to the EPS Sale and
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the EBS Sale, which was subject to adjustment in connection with the filing of the applicable tax returns. During September 2007, HLTH finalized the NOL carryforward attributable to us that was utilized as a result of the EPS Sale and EBS Sale and reimbursed us an additional $9,862. These reimbursements were recorded as capital contributions which increased additionalpaid-in-capital at December 31, 2006 and September 30, 2007, respectively.
On February 11, 2008, HLTH announced that it had executed a definitive agreement and closed the sale of its 48% minority interest in EBS to an affiliate of General Atlantic LLC and investment funds managed by Hellman & Friedman LLC. The sale price was $575,000 in cash. HLTH expects to recognize a taxable gain on this transaction and expects to utilize a portion of its federal NOL carryforward to offset a portion of the tax liability resulting from this transaction. The amount of the utilization of the NOL carryforward and related reimbursement to us is dependent on numerous factors and cannot be determined at this time.
See “— Introduction — Pending HLTH Merger” above for a description of the Merger Agreement entered into between HLTH and WebMD.
Charges from the Company to HLTH:
Revenue: We sell certain of our products and services to HLTH businesses. These amounts are included in revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007. We charge HLTH rates comparable to those charged to third parties for similar products and services.
Charges from HLTH to the Company:
Corporate Services: We are charged a services fee (the “Services Fee”) for costs related to corporate services provided to us by HLTH. The services that HLTH provides include certain administrative services, including payroll, accounting, tax planning and compliance, employee benefit plans, legal matters and information processing. In addition, we reimburse HLTH for an allocated portion of certain expenses that HLTH incurs for outside services and similar items, including insurance fees, outside personnel, facilities costs, professional fees, software maintenance fees and telecommunications costs. HLTH has agreed to make the services available to us for up to 5 years following the IPO. These expense allocations were determined on a basis that we and HLTH consider to be a reasonable assessment of the cost of providing these services, exclusive of any profit margin. The basis we and HLTH used to determine these expense allocations required management to make certain judgments and assumptions. These cost allocations are reflected in the table below under the caption “Corporate services — shared services allocation.” The Services Fee is reflected in general and administrative expense within our consolidated statements of operations.
Healthcare Expense: We are charged for our employees’ participation in HLTH’s healthcare plans. Healthcare expense is charged based on the number of our total employees and reflects HLTH’s average cost of these benefits per employee. Healthcare expense is reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations in the same expense captions as the related salary costs of those employees.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense: Stock-based compensation expense is related to stock option issuances and restricted stock awards of HLTH Common Stock that have been granted to certain of our employees. Stock-based compensation expense is allocated on a specific employee identification basis. The expense is reflected in our consolidated statements of operations in the same expense captions as the related salary costs of those employees. The allocation of stock-based compensation expense related to HLTH Common Stock is recorded as a capital contribution in additional paid-in capital.
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The following table summarizes the allocations reflected in our consolidated financial statements:
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| | Three Months Ended
| |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
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Charges from the Company to HLTH: | | | | | | | | |
Intercompany revenue | | $ | — | | | $ | 63 | |
Charges from HLTH to the Company: | | | | | | | | |
Corporate services — shared services allocation | | | 873 | | | | 804 | |
Healthcare expense | | | 1,871 | | | | 1,382 | |
Stock-based compensation expense | | | 244 | | | | 911 | |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
On April 25, 2008, the Financial Accounting Standard Board (which we refer to as FASB) issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”)FAS 142-3, Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets. This FSP amends the factors that should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (which we refer to as SFAS) No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (“SFAS 142”). The intent of this FSP is to improve the consistency between the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS 142 and the period of expected cash flows used to measure the fair value of the asset under SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007), “Business Combinations,” and other U.S. GAAP. This FSP is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is prohibited. The Company is currently evaluating the impact, if any, that this FSP will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
In December 2007, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007), “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”), a replacement of FASB Statement No. 141. SFAS 141R is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2008 and applies to all business combinations. SFAS 141R provides that, upon initially obtaining control, an acquirer shall recognize 100 percent of the fair values of acquired assets, including goodwill, and assumed liabilities, with only limited exceptions, even if the acquirer has not acquired 100 percent of its target. As a consequence, the current step acquisition model will be eliminated. Additionally, SFAS 141R changes current practice, in part, as follows: (1) contingent consideration arrangements will be fair valued at the acquisition date and included on that basis in the purchase price consideration; (2) transaction costs will be expensed as incurred, rather than capitalized as part of the purchase price; (3) pre-acquisition contingencies, such as legal issues, will generally have to be accounted for in purchase accounting at fair value; and (4) in order to accrue for a restructuring plan in purchase accounting, the requirements in FASB Statement No. 146, “Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities,” would have to be met at the acquisition date. While there is no expected impact to our consolidated financial statements on the accounting for acquisitions completed prior to December 31, 2008, the adoption of SFAS 141R on January 1, 2009 could materially change the accounting for business combinations consummated subsequent to that date.
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of operations data and expresses that data as a percentage of revenue for the periods presented:
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| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
| | $ | | | % | | | $ | | | % | |
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Revenue | | $ | 81,682 | | | | 100.0 | | | $ | 71,944 | | | | 100.0 | |
Costs and expenses: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cost of operations | | | 31,570 | | | | 38.6 | | | | 28,618 | | | | 39.8 | |
Sales and marketing | | | 25,830 | | | | 31.6 | | | | 22,870 | | | | 31.8 | |
General and administrative | | | 13,775 | | | | 16.9 | | | | 15,505 | | | | 21.6 | |
Impairment of auction rate securities | | | 27,406 | | | | 33.6 | | | | — | | | | — | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 6,785 | | | | 8.3 | | | | 5,991 | | | | 8.3 | |
Interest income | | | 3,453 | | | | 4.2 | | | | 1,985 | | | | 2.8 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax provision | | | (20,231 | ) | | | (24.8 | ) | | | 945 | | | | 1.3 | |
Income tax provision | | | 3,104 | | | | 3.8 | | | | 210 | | | | 0.3 | |
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(Loss) income from continuing operations | | | (23,335 | ) | | | (28.6 | ) | | | 735 | | | | 1.0 | |
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | | | — | | | | — | | | | (29 | ) | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (23,335 | ) | | | (28.6 | ) | | $ | 706 | | | | 1.0 | |
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Revenue is derived from our two business segments: Online Services and Publishing and Other Services. Our Online Services segment derives revenue from advertising, sponsorship (including online CME services),e-detailing promotion and physician recruitment services, content syndication and distribution, and licenses of private online portals to employers, healthcare payers and others, along with related services including lifestyle education and personalized telephonic coaching. Our Publishing and Other Services segment derives revenue from sales of, and advertising in, our physician directories, and advertisements inWebMD the Magazine.We sold our ACS/ACP Business as of December 31, 2007 and the revenue and expenses of this business are shown in discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2007.
Our customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and consumer products companies, as well as employers and health plans. Our customers also include physicians and other healthcare providers who buy our physician directories and reference textbooks.
Cost of operations consists of costs related to services and products we provide to customers and costs associated with the operation and maintenance of our public and private portals. These costs relate to editorial and production, Web site operations, non-capitalized Web site development costs, and costs related to the production and distribution of our publications. These costs consist of expenses related to salaries and related expenses, non-cash stock-based compensation, creating and licensing content, telecommunications, leased properties and printing and distribution.
Sales and marketing expense consists primarily of advertising, product and brand promotion, salaries and related expenses, and non-cash stock-based compensation. These expenses include items related to salaries and related expenses of account executives, account management and marketing personnel, costs and expenses for marketing programs, and fees for professional marketing and advertising services. Also included in sales and marketing expense are the non-cash advertising expenses discussed below.
General and administrative expense consists primarily of salaries, non-cash stock-based compensation and other salary-related expenses of administrative, finance, legal, information technology, human resources and executive personnel. These expenses include costs of general insurance and costs of accounting and internal
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control systems to support our operations and a services fee for our portion of certain expenses shared across all segments of HLTH.
Our discussions throughout this MD&A reference certain non-cash expenses. The following is a summary of our principal non-cash expenses:
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| • | Non-cash advertising expense. Expense related to the use of our prepaid advertising inventory that we received from News Corporation in exchange for equity instruments that HLTH issued in connection with an agreement it entered into with News Corporation in 1999 and subsequently amended in 2000. This non-cash advertising expense is included in cost of operations when we utilize this advertising inventory in conjunction with offline advertising and sponsorship programs and is included in sales and marketing expense when we use the asset for promotion of our brand. |
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| • | Non-cash stock-based compensation expense. Expense related to awards of our restricted Class A Common Stock and awards of employee stock options, as well as awards of restricted HLTH common stock and awards of HLTH stock options that have been granted to certain of our employees. Expense also related to shares issued to our non-employee directors. Non-cash stock-based compensation expense is reflected in the same expense captions as the related salary costs of the respective employees. |
The following table is a summary of our non-cash expenses included in the respective statements of operations captions.
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| | Three Months Ended
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| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
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Advertising expense: | | | | | | | | |
Sales and marketing | | $ | 1,558 | | | $ | 2,320 | |
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Stock-based compensation expense: | | | | | | | | |
Cost of operations | | $ | 1,119 | | | $ | 1,578 | |
Sales and marketing | | | 1,138 | | | | 1,258 | |
General and administrative | | | 1,455 | | | | 2,527 | |
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Total stock-based compensation expense | | $ | 3,712 | | | $ | 5,363 | |
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Three Months Ended March 31, 2008 and 2007
The following discussion is a comparison of our results of operations on a consolidated basis for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007.
Revenue
Our total revenue increased 13.5% to $81,682 from $71,944 last year. This increase is primarily due to higher revenue from our public portals. Online Services accounted for $9,985 of the revenue increase, offset by a decrease of $247 within Publishing and Other Services. A more detailed discussion regarding changes in revenue is included below under “— Results of Operations by Operating Segment.”
Costs and Expenses
Cost of Operations. Cost of operations increased to $31,570 from $28,618 last year. As a percentage of revenue, cost of operations was 38.6% in 2008, compared to 39.8% in 2007. Included in cost of operations in 2008 was non-cash expense related to stock-based compensation of $1,119 compared to $1,578 in 2007. The decrease in non-cash expenses during the three month period compared to last year were primarily related to graded vesting methodology used in determining stock-based compensation expense relating to the Company’s stock options and restricted stock awards granted at the time of the initial public offering. Cost of operations
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excluding non-cash expense was $30,451 or 37.3% of revenue, compared to $27,040 or 37.6% of revenue last year. The increase in absolute dollars was primarily attributable to increases in compensation related costs due to higher staffing levels relating to our Web site operations and development. The decrease as a percentage of revenue was primarily due to our ability to achieve the increase in revenue without incurring a proportional increase in cost of operations expense.
Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing expense increased to $25,830 from $22,870 last year. As a percentage of revenue, sales and marketing expense was 31.6% in 2008, compared to 31.8% in 2007. Included in sales and marketing expense in 2008 and 2007 was non-cash expense related to advertising of $1,558 and $2.320, respectively, and stock-based compensation of $1,138 and $1,258, respectively. Non-cash advertising expense decreased during the three month period ended March 31, 2008 compared to 2007 due to lower utilization of our prepaid advertising inventory. The decrease in non-cash stock-based compensation expense was primarily related to graded vesting methodology used in determining stock-based compensation expense relating to the Company’s stock options and restricted stock awards granted at the time of the initial public offering. Sales and marketing expense, excluding non-cash expenses, was $23,134 or 28.3% of revenue, compared to $19,292 or 26.8% of revenue last year. The increase in absolute dollars, as well the increase as a percentage of revenue, was primarily attributable to a $2,362 increase in compensation related costs due to increased staffing and to $1,043 increased expenses related to marketing and advertising programs due to higher program volume of approximately 600 programs compared to 500 programs last year.
General and Administrative. General and administrative expense decreased to $13,775, from $15,505 last year. As a percentage of revenue, general and administrative expense was 16.9% in 2008, compared to 21.6% in 2007. Included in general and administrative expense in 2008 and 2007 was non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1,455 and $2,527, respectively. The decrease in non-cash stock-based compensation expense was primarily due to graded vesting methodology used in determining stock-based compensation expense relating to the Company’s stock options and restricted stock awards granted at the time of the initial public offering. General and administrative expense, excluding non-cash expenses, was $12,320 or 15.1% of revenue, compared to $12,978 or 18.0% of revenue last year. The decrease in absolute dollars was primarily attributable to a decrease in costs related to outside services and contractors.
Impairment of Auction Rate Securities. Impairment of auction rate securities represents a charge of $27,406 related to an other-than temporary reduction of the fair value of the Company’s auction rate securities during the quarter ended March 31, 2008. For additional information, see “— Other Significant Developments and Trends — Impairment of Auction Rate Securities” above.
Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense increased to $6,785 for the three months ended March 31, 2008 from $5,991 in the same period last year. The increase over the prior year period was primarily due to the $1,460 increase in depreciation expense relating to capital expenditures in 2007 and 2008, partially offset by a decrease in amortization expense of $666 related to certain intangible assets becoming fully amortized.
Interest Income. Interest income increased to $3,453 for the three months ended March 31, 2008 from $1,985 in the same period last year. The increase over the prior year period primarily relates to the increased cash available for investment.
Income Tax Provision. The income tax provision of $3,104 and $210 for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively, represents tax expense related to federal, state and other jurisdictions. As a result of the reversal of a portion of our valuation allowance during the three months ended December 31, 2007, the income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2008 reflects a normal tax rate provision based on the statutory rates, and accordingly, includes a non-cash provision. The increase in the effective tax rate from the three months ended March 31, 2007 is a result of this non-cash provision. The income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2008 excludes a benefit for the impairment of ARS, as it is currently not deductible for tax purposes.
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Loss from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax. Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, represents the ACS/ACP Business net operating loss of $29 in 2007 in connection with the completed sale of the ACS/ACP Business.
Results of Operations by Operating Segment
We monitor the performance of our business based on earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items. Other non-cash items include non-cash advertising expense and non-cash stock-based compensation expense. Corporate and other overhead functions are allocated to segments on a specifically identifiable basis or other reasonable method of allocation. We consider these allocations to be a reasonable reflection of the utilization of costs incurred. We do not disaggregate assets for internal management reporting and, therefore, such information is not presented. There are no inter-segment revenue transactions.
The following table presents the results of our operations for each of our operating segments and a reconciliation to net (loss) income:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Three Month Ended
| |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
|
Revenue | | | | | | | | |
Online Services: | | | | | | | | |
Advertising and sponsorship | | $ | 56,065 | | | $ | 47,421 | |
Licensing | | | 21,923 | | | | 20,115 | |
Content syndication and other | | | 417 | | | | 884 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Total Online Services | | | 78,405 | | | | 68,420 | |
Publishing and Other Services | | | 3,277 | | | | 3,524 | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | $ | 81,682 | | | $ | 71,944 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items | | | | | | | | |
Online Services | | $ | 16,531 | | | $ | 12,992 | |
Publishing and Other Services | | | (754 | ) | | | (358 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | 15,777 | | | | 12,634 | |
Interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items | | | | | | | | |
Interest income | | | 3,453 | | | | 1,985 | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | (6,785 | ) | | | (5,991 | ) |
Non-cash advertising | | | (1,558 | ) | | | (2,320 | ) |
Non-cash stock-based compensation | | | (3,712 | ) | | | (5,363 | ) |
Impairment of auction rate securities | | | (27,406 | ) | | | — | |
Income tax provision | | | (3,104 | ) | | | (210 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | | (23,335 | ) | | | 735 | |
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | | | — | | | | (29 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (23,335 | ) | | $ | 706 | |
| | | | | | | | |
The following discussion is a comparison of the results of operations for our two operating segments for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007.
Online Services. Revenue was $78,405, an increase of $9,985 or 14.6% from last year. Advertising and sponsorship revenue increased $8,644 or 18.2% compared to last year. The increase in advertising and sponsorship revenue was primarily attributable to an increase in the number of brands and sponsored programs
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promoted on our sites. The number of such programs grew to approximately 600 compared to approximately 500 last year. In general, pricing remained relatively stable for our advertising and sponsorship programs and was not a significant source of the revenue increase. Licensing revenue increased $1,808 or 9.0% compared to last year. This increase was due to an increase in the number of companies using our private portal platform to 122 from 103 last year. In general, pricing remained relatively stable for our private portal licenses and was not a significant source of the revenue increase. We also have approximately 140 additional customers who purchase stand-alone decision support services from us. Content syndication and other revenue decreased to $417 from $884 last year, primarily as a result of the completion of certain contracts and our decision not to seek new content syndication business.
Our Online Services earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items was $16,531 or 21.1% of revenue, compared to $12,992 or 19.0% of revenue last year. This increase as a percentage of revenue was primarily due to higher revenue from the increase in number of brands and sponsored programs in our public portals as well as the increase in companies using our private online portal without incurring a proportionate increase in overall expenses.
Publishing and Other Services. Revenue was $3,277 compared to $3,524 last year. The decrease was primarily attributable to $570 of lower advertising revenue inThe Little Blue Book, offset by $323 of higher advertising revenue inWebMD the Magazine. In general, pricing remained relatively stable for advertising in bothThe Little Blue Book andWebMD the Magazine and was not a significant source for changes in revenue.
Our Publishing and Other Services loss before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items was $754 compared to $358 last year. This change was primarily attributable to a change in mix of revenues.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2008, we had $159,831 of cash and cash equivalents and we owned investments in auction rate securities with a face value of $168,450 and a fair value of $141,044. While liquidity for our ARS investments is currently limited, we recently entered into a non-recourse credit facility with Citigroup that will allow us to borrow up to 75% of the face amount of our ARS holdings. See “— Introduction — Other Significant Developments and Trends — Impairment of Auction Rate Securities” and “— Introduction — Other Recent Transactions — Credit Facility” above. Our working capital as of March 31, 2008 was $280,796. Our working capital is affected by the timing of each period end in relation to items such as payments received from customers, payments made to vendors, and internal payroll and billing cycles, as well as the seasonality within our business. Accordingly, our working capital, and its impact on cash flow from operations, can fluctuate materially from period to period.
Cash provided by operating activities during the three months ended March 31, 2008 was $34,691, primarily as a result of net loss of $23,335, adjusted for non-cash expenses of $41,876, which included depreciation and amortization, non-cash advertising expense, non-cash stock-based compensation expense, deferred income taxes and an impairment of auction rate securities. Additionally, changes in working capital provided cash flow of $16,150, primarily due to a decrease in accounts receivable of $12,220 and an increase in deferred revenue of $11,714, partially offset by a decrease in accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities of $8,949. Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations during the three months ended March 31, 2007 was $12,967, which related to net income of $706, adjusted for the loss from discontinued operations of $29 and non-cash expenses of $13,752, which included depreciation and amortization, non-cash advertising expense, deferred income taxes and non-cash stock-based compensation expense. Additionally, changes in working capital utilized cash flow of $1,520, primarily due to a decrease in accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities of $11,545, partially offset by an increase in deferred revenue of $7,678 and a decrease in accounts receivable of $2,185.
Cash used in investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2008 was $89,202 which primarily related to net purchases of available-for-sale securities of $87,550, investments in property and equipment of $2,637 primarily to enhance our technology platform and cash received from the sale of the ACS/ACP Business of $985. Cash used in investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2007
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was $25,272 which primarily related to net purchases of available-for-sale securities of $20,510 and investments in property and equipment of $4,762 primarily to enhance our technology platform.
Cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2008 related to proceeds from the issuance of common stock of $589. Cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2007 was principally related to net cash transfers with HLTH of $145,257, which included $140,000 received from HLTH related to the utilization of WebMD’s NOLs, and proceeds from the issuance of common stock of $4,458.
Potential future cash commitments include our anticipated 2008 capital expenditure requirements for the full year which we currently estimate to be up to $25,000. Our anticipated capital expenditures relate to improvements that will be deployed across our public and private portal web sites in order to enable us to service future growth in unique users, page views and private portal customers, as well as to create new sponsorship areas for our customers. Our liquidity during 2008 is expected to be significantly impacted as a result of the planned HLTH Merger. See “— Introduction — Pending HLTH Merger” above. The planned merger with HLTH will result in the payment of up to $6.89 in cash for each share of HLTH Common Stock as of the closing date of the merger. We expect the combined company to use available cash on hand, as well as cash proceeds to be received from the divestitures by HLTH of its Porex and VIPS businesses to fund the cash portion of the merger consideration. Additionally, if either Porex or ViPS has not been sold at the time the HLTH Merger is ready to be consummated, WHC could issue up to $250,000 in redeemable notes to the HLTH stockholders in lieu of a portion of the cash consideration otherwise payable in the merger, or HLTH or WebMD could drawn proceeds from the respective non-recourse credit facilities they have entered into with Citigroup.
We believe that our available cash resources and future cash flow from operations will provide sufficient cash resources to meet the commitments described above and to fund our currently anticipated working capital and capital expenditure requirements for up to twenty-four months. Our future liquidity and capital requirements will depend upon numerous factors, including retention of customers at current volume and revenue levels, our existing and new application and service offerings, competing technological and market developments, and potential future acquisitions. In addition, our ability to generate cash flow is subject to numerous factors beyond our control, including general economic, regulatory and other matters affecting us and our customers. We plan to continue to enhance the relevance of our online services to our audience and sponsors and will continue to invest in acquisitions, strategic relationships, facilities and technological infrastructure and product development. We intend to grow each of our existing businesses and enter into complementary ones through both internal investments and acquisitions. We may need to raise additional funds to support expansion, develop new or enhanced applications and services, respond to competitive pressures, acquire complementary businesses or technologies or take advantage of unanticipated opportunities. If required, we may raise such additional funds through public or private debt or equity financing, strategic relationships or other arrangements. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all, or that such financing will not be dilutive to our stockholders. Future indebtedness may impose various restrictions and covenants on us that could limit our ability to respond to market conditions, to provide for unanticipated capital investments or to take advantage of business opportunities.
Factors That May Affect Our Future Financial Condition or Results of Operations
This section describes circumstances or events that could have a negative effect on our financial results or operations or that could change, for the worse, existing trends in some or all of our businesses. The occurrence of one or more of the circumstances or events described below could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows or on the trading prices of our Class A Common Stock or securities we may issue in the future. The risks and uncertainties described in this Quarterly Report are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties that are not currently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also adversely affect our business and operations.
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Risks Related to Our Operations and Financial Performance
If we are unable to provide content and services that attract and retain users to The WebMD Health Network on a consistent basis, our advertising and sponsorship revenue could be reduced
Users ofThe WebMD Health Networkhave numerous other online and offline sources of healthcare information services. Our ability to compete for user traffic on our public portals depends upon our ability to make available a variety of health and medical content, decision-support applications and other services that meet the needs of a variety of types of users, including consumers, physicians and other healthcare professionals, with a variety of reasons for seeking information. Our ability to do so depends, in turn, on:
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| • | our ability to hire and retain qualified authors, journalists and independent writers; |
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| • | our ability to license quality content from third parties; and |
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| • | our ability to monitor and respond to increases and decreases in user interest in specific topics. |
We cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to develop or acquire needed content, applications and tools at a reasonable cost. In addition, since consumer users of our public portals may be attracted toThe WebMD Health Networkas a result of a specific condition or for a specific purpose, it is difficult for us to predict the rate at which they will return to the public portals. Because we generate revenue by, among other things, selling sponsorships of specific pages, sections or events onThe WebMD Health Network, a decline in user traffic levels or a reduction in the number of pages viewed by users could cause our revenue to decrease and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Developing and implementing new and updated applications, features and services for our public and private portals may be more difficult than expected, may take longer and cost more than expected and may not result in sufficient increases in revenue to justify the costs
Attracting and retaining users of our public portals and clients for our private portals requires us to continue to improve the technology underlying those portals and to continue to develop new and updated applications, features and services for those portals. If we are unable to do so on a timely basis or if we are unable to implement new applications, features and services without disruption to our existing ones, we may lose potential users and clients.
We rely on a combination of internal development, strategic relationships, licensing and acquisitions to develop our portals and related applications, features and services. Our developmentand/or implementation of new technologies, applications, features and services may cost more than expected, may take longer than originally expected, may require more testing than originally anticipated and may require the acquisition of additional personnel and other resources. There can be no assurance that the revenue opportunities from any new or updated technologies, applications, features or services will justify the amounts spent.
We face significant competition for our products and services
The markets in which we operate are intensely competitive, continually evolving and, in some cases, subject to rapid change.
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| • | Our public portals face competition from numerous other companies, both in attracting users and in generating revenue from advertisers and sponsors. We compete for users with online services and Web sites that provide health-related information, including both commercial sites and not-for-profit sites. We compete for advertisers and sponsors with: health-related Web sites; general purpose consumer Web sites that offer specialized health sub-channels; other high-traffic Web sites that include both healthcare-related and non-healthcare-related content and services; search engines that provide specialized health search; and advertising networks that aggregate traffic from multiple sites. |
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| • | Our private portals compete with: providers of healthcare decision-support tools and online health management applications; wellness and disease management vendors; and health information services and health management offerings of healthcare benefits companies and their affiliates. |
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| • | Our Publishing and Other Services segment’s products and services compete with numerous other offline publications, some of which have better access to traditional distribution channels than we have, and also compete with online information sources. |
Many of our competitors have greater financial, technical, product development, marketing and other resources than we do. These organizations may be better known than we are and have more customers or users than we do. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against these organizations or any alliances they have formed or may form. Since there are no substantial barriers to entry into the markets in which our public portals participate, we expect that competitors will continue to enter these markets.
Failure to maintain and enhance the “WebMD” brand could have a material adverse effect on our business
We believe that the “WebMD” brand identity that we have developed has contributed to the success of our business and has helped us achieve recognition as a trusted source of health and wellness information. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing that brand is important to expanding the user base for our public portals, to our relationships with sponsors and advertisers and to our ability to gain additional employer and healthcare payer clients for our private portals. We have expended considerable resources on establishing and enhancing the “WebMD” brand and our other brands, and we have developed policies and procedures designed to preserve and enhance our brands, including editorial procedures designed to provide quality control of the information we publish. We expect to continue to devote resources and efforts to maintain and enhance our brand. However, we may not be able to successfully maintain or enhance awareness of our brands, and events outside of our control may have a negative effect on our brands. If we are unable to maintain or enhance awareness of our brand, and do so in a cost-effective manner, our business could be adversely affected.
Our online businesses have a limited operating history
Our online businesses have a limited operating history and participate in relatively new markets. These markets, and our online businesses, have undergone significant changes during their short history and can be expected to continue to change. Many companies with business plans based on providing healthcare information and related services through the Internet have failed to be profitable and some have filed for bankruptcyand/or ceased operations. Even if demand from users exists, we cannot assure you that our businesses will continue to be profitable.
Our failure to attract and retain qualified executives and employees may have a material adverse effect on our business
Our business depends largely on the skills, experience and performance of key members of our management team. We also depend, in part, on our ability to attract and retain qualified writers and editors, software developers and other technical personnel and sales and marketing personnel. Competition for qualified personnel in the healthcare information services and Internet industries is intense. We cannot assure you that we will be able to hire or retain a sufficient number of qualified personnel to meet our requirements, or that we will be able to do so at salary and benefit costs that are acceptable to us. Failure to do so may have an adverse effect on our business.
If we are unable to provide healthcare content for our offline publications that attracts and retains users, our revenue will be reduced
Interest in our offline publications, such asThe Little Blue Book,is based upon our ability to make available up-to-date health content that meets the needs of our physician users. Although we have been able to continue to update and maintain the physician practice information that we publish inThe Little Blue Book,if we are unable to continue to do so for any reason, the value ofThe Little Blue Bookwould diminish and interest in this publication and advertising in this publication would be adversely affected.
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WebMD the Magazinewas launched in April 2005 and, as a result, has a very short operating history. We cannot assure you thatWebMD the Magazinewill be able to attract and retain the advertisers needed to make this publication successful in the future.
The timing of our advertising and sponsorship revenue may vary significantly from quarter to quarter
Our advertising and sponsorship revenue, which accounted for approximately 73% of our total Online Services segment revenue for the year ended December 31, 2007, may vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, many of which are not in our control, and some of which may be difficult to forecast accurately. The majority of our advertising and sponsorship programs are for terms of approximately four to twelve months. We have relatively few longer term advertising and sponsorship programs. In addition, we have recently noted a trend, among some of our advertisers and sponsors, of seeking to enter into shorter term contracts than they had entered into in the past. We cannot assure you that our current advertisers and sponsors will continue to use our services beyond the terms of their existing contracts or that they will enter into any additional contracts.
In addition, the time between the date of initial contact with a potential advertiser or sponsor regarding a specific program and the execution of a contract with the advertiser or sponsor for that program may be lengthy, especially for larger contracts, and may be subject to delays over which we have little or no control, including as a result of budgetary constraints of the advertiser or sponsor or their need for internal approvals. Other factors that could affect the timing of contracting for specific programs with advertisers and sponsors, or receipt of revenue under such contracts, include:
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| • | the timing of FDA approval for new products or for new approved uses for existing products; |
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| • | the timing of FDA approval of generic products that compete with existing brand name products; |
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| • | the timing of withdrawals of products from the market; |
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| • | seasonal factors relating to the prevalence of specific health conditions and other seasonal factors that may affect the timing of promotional campaigns for specific products; and |
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| • | the scheduling of conferences for physicians and other healthcare professionals. |
Lengthy sales and implementation cycles for our private online portals make it difficult to forecast our revenues from these applications and may have an adverse impact on our business
The period from our initial contact with a potential client for a private online portal and the first purchase of our solution by the client is difficult to predict. In the past, this period has generally ranged from six to twelve months, but in some cases has been longer. These sales may be subject to delays due to a client’s internal procedures for approving large expenditures and other factors beyond our control. The time it takes to implement a private online portal is also difficult to predict and has lasted as long as six months from contract execution to the commencement of live operation. Implementation may be subject to delays based on the availability of the internal resources of the client that are needed and other factors outside of our control. As a result, we have limited ability to forecast the timing of revenue from new clients. This, in turn, makes it more difficult to predict our financial performance from quarter to quarter.
During the sales cycle and the implementation period, we may expend substantial time, effort and money preparing contract proposals, negotiating contracts and implementing the private online portal without receiving any related revenue. In addition, many of the expenses related to providing private online portals are relatively fixed in the short term, including personnel costs and technology and infrastructure costs. Even if our private portal revenue is lower than expected, we may not be able to reduce related short-term spending in response. Any shortfall in such revenue would have a direct impact on our results of operations.
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Our ability to provide comparative information on hospital cost and quality depends on our ability to obtain the required data on a timely basis and, if we are unable to do so, our private portal services would be less attractive to clients
We provide, in connection with our private portal services, comparative information about hospital cost and quality. Our ability to provide this information depends on our ability to obtain comprehensive, reliable data. We currently obtain this data from a number of public and private sources, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 24 individual states and the Leapfrog Group. We cannot provide assurance that we would be able to find alternative sources for this data on acceptable terms and conditions. Accordingly, our business could be negatively impacted if CMS or our other data sources cease to make such information available or impose terms and conditions for making it available that are not consistent with our planned usage. In addition, the quality of the comparative information services we provide depends on the reliability of the information that we are able to obtain. If the information we use to provide these services contains errors or is otherwise unreliable, we could lose clients and our reputation could be damaged.
Our ability to renew existing licenses with employers and health plans will depend, in part, on our ability to continue to increase usage of our private portal services by their employees and plan members
In a healthcare market where a greater share of the responsibility for healthcare costs and decision-making has been increasingly shifting to consumers, use of information technology (including personal health records) to assist consumers in making informed decisions about healthcare has also increased. We believe that through our WebMD Health and Benefits Manager tools, including our personal health record application, we are well positioned to play a role in this consumer-directed healthcare environment, and these services will be a significant driver for the growth of our private portals during the next several years. However, our growth strategy depends, in part, on increasing usage of our private portal services by our employer and health plan clients’ employees and members, respectively. Increasing usage of our services requires us to continue to deliver and improve the underlying technology and develop new and updated applications, features and services. In addition, we face competition in the area of healthcare decision-support tools and online health management applications and health information services. Many of our competitors have greater financial, technical, product development, marketing and other resources than we do, and may be better known than we are. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to meet our development and implementation goals, nor that we will be able to compete successfully against other vendors offering competitive services and, as a result, may experience static or diminished usage for our private portal services and possible non-renewals of our license agreements.
Expansion to markets outside the United States will subject us to additional risks
One element of our growth strategy is to seek to expand our online services to markets outside the United States. Generally, we expect that we would accomplish this through partnerships or joint ventures with other companies having expertise in the specific country or region. However, our participation in international markets will still be subject to certain risks beyond those applicable to our operations in the United States, such as:
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| • | difficulties in staffing and managing operations outside of the United States; |
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| • | fluctuations in currency exchange rates; |
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| • | burdens of complying with a wide variety of legal, regulatory and market requirements; |
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| • | variability of economic and political conditions; |
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| • | tariffs or other trade barriers; |
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| • | costs of providing and marketing products and services in different markets; |
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| • | potentially adverse tax consequences, including restrictions on repatriation of earnings; and |
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| • | difficulties in protecting intellectual property. |
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Risks Related to Our Relationships with Clients
Developments in the healthcare industry could adversely affect our business
Most of our revenue is derived from the healthcare industry and could be affected by changes affecting healthcare spending. We are particularly dependent on pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies for our advertising and sponsorship revenue.
General reductions in expenditures by healthcare industry participants could result from, among other things:
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| • | government regulation or private initiatives that affect the manner in which healthcare providers interact with patients, payers or other healthcare industry participants, including changes in pricing or means of delivery of healthcare products and services; |
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| • | consolidation of healthcare industry participants; |
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| • | reductions in governmental funding for healthcare; and |
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| • | adverse changes in business or economic conditions affecting healthcare payers or providers, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or medical device companies or other healthcare industry participants. |
Even if general expenditures by industry participants remain the same or increase, developments in the healthcare industry may result in reduced spending in some or all of the specific market segments that we serve or are planning to serve. For example, use of our products and services could be affected by:
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| • | changes in the design of health insurance plans; |
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| • | a decrease in the number of new drugs or medical devices coming to market; and |
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| • | decreases in marketing expenditures by pharmaceutical or medical device companies, including as a result of governmental regulation or private initiatives that discourage or prohibit advertising or sponsorship activities by pharmaceutical or medical device companies. |
In addition, our customers’ expectations regarding pending or potential industry developments may also affect their budgeting processes and spending plans with respect to products and services of the types we provide.
The healthcare industry has changed significantly in recent years and we expect that significant changes will continue to occur. However, the timing and impact of developments in the healthcare industry are difficult to predict. We cannot assure you that the markets for our products and services will continue to exist at current levels or that we will have adequate technical, financial and marketing resources to react to changes in those markets.
We may be unsuccessful in our efforts to increase advertising and sponsorship revenue from consumer products companies
Most of our advertising and sponsorship revenue has, in the past, come from pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies. We have been focusing on increasing sponsorship revenue from consumer products companies that are interested in communicating health-related or safety-related information about their products to our audience. However, while a number of consumer products companies have indicated an intent to increase the portion of their promotional spending used on the Internet, we cannot assure you that these advertisers and sponsors will find our consumer Web sites to be as effective as other Web sites or traditional media for promoting their products and services. If we encounter difficulties in competing with the other alternatives available to consumer products companies, this portion of our business may develop more slowly than we expect or may fail to develop.
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We could be subject to breach of warranty or other claims by clients of our online portals if the software and systems we use to provide them contain errors or experience failures
Errors in the software and systems we use could cause serious problems for clients of our online portals. We may fail to meet contractual performance standards or client expectations. Clients of our online portals may seek compensation from us or may seek to terminate their agreements with us, withhold payments due to us, seek refunds from us of part or all of the fees charged under those agreements or initiate litigation or other dispute resolution procedures. In addition, we could face breach of warranty or other claims by clients or additional development costs. Our software and systems are inherently complex and, despite testing and quality control, we cannot be certain that they will perform as planned.
We attempt to limit, by contract, our liability to our clients for damages arising from our negligence, errors or mistakes. However, contractual limitations on liability may not be enforceable in certain circumstances or may otherwise not provide sufficient protection to us from liability for damages. We maintain liability insurance coverage, including coverage for errors and omissions. However, it is possible that claims could exceed the amount of our applicable insurance coverage, if any, or that this coverage may not continue to be available on acceptable terms or in sufficient amounts. Even if these claims do not result in liability to us, investigating and defending against them would be expensive and time consuming and could divert management’s attention away from our operations. In addition, negative publicity caused by these events may delay or hinder market acceptance of our services, including unrelated services.
Risks Related to Use of the Internet and to Our Technological Infrastructure
Any service interruption or failure in the systems that we use to provide online services could harm our business
Our online services are designed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without interruption. However, we have experienced and expect that we will in the future experience interruptions and delays in services and availability from time to time. We rely on internal systems as well as third-party vendors, including data center providers and bandwidth providers, to provide our online services. We may not maintain redundant systems or facilities for some of these services. In the event of a catastrophic event with respect to one or more of these systems or facilities, we may experience an extended period of system unavailability, which could negatively impact our relationship with users. In addition, system failures may result in loss of data, including user registration data, content, and other data critical to the operation of our online services, which could cause significant harm to our business and our reputation.
To operate without interruption or loss of data, both we and our service providers must guard against:
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| • | damage from fire, power loss and other natural disasters; |
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| • | communications failures; |
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| • | software and hardware errors, failures and crashes; |
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| • | security breaches, computer viruses and similar disruptive problems; and |
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| • | other potential service interruptions. |
Any disruption in the network access or co-location services provided by third-party providers to us or any failure by these third-party providers or our own systems to handle current or higher volume of use could significantly harm our business. We exercise little control over these third-party vendors, which increases our vulnerability to problems with services they provide.
Any errors, failures, interruptions or delays experienced in connection with these third-party technologies and information services or our own systems could negatively impact our relationships with users and adversely affect our brand and our business and could expose us to liabilities to third parties. Although we maintain insurance for our business, the coverage under our policies may not be adequate to compensate us
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for all losses that may occur. In addition, we cannot provide assurance that we will continue to be able to obtain adequate insurance coverage at an acceptable cost.
Implementation of additions to or changes in hardware and software platforms used to deliver our online services may result in performance problems and may not provide the additional functionality that was expected
From time to time, we implement additions to or changes in the hardware and software platforms we use for providing our online services. During and after the implementation of additions or changes, a platform may not perform as expected, which could result in interruptions in operations, an increase in response time or an inability to track performance metrics. In addition, in connection with integrating acquired businesses, we may move their operations to our hardware and software platforms or make other changes, any of which could result in interruptions in those operations. Any significant interruption in our ability to operate any of our online services could have an adverse effect on our relationships with users and clients and, as a result, on our financial results. We rely on a combination of purchasing, licensing, internal development, and acquisitions to develop our hardware and software platforms. Our implementation of additions to or changes in these platforms may cost more than originally expected, may take longer than originally expected, and may require more testing than originally anticipated. In addition, we cannot provide assurance that additions to or changes in these platforms will provide the additional functionality and other benefits that were originally expected.
If the systems we use to provide online portals experience security breaches or are otherwise perceived to be insecure, our business could suffer
We retain and transmit confidential information, including personal health records, in the processing centers and other facilities we use to provide online services. It is critical that these facilities and infrastructure remain secure and be perceived by the marketplace as secure. A security breach could damage our reputation or result in liability. We may be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against security breaches and hackers or to alleviate problems caused by breaches. Despite the implementation of security measures, this infrastructure or other systems that we interface with, including the Internet and related systems, may be vulnerable to physical break-ins, hackers, improper employee or contractor access, computer viruses, programming errors, denial-of-service attacks or other attacks by third parties or similar disruptive problems. Any compromise of our security, whether as a result of our own systems or the systems that they interface with, could reduce demand for our services and could subject us to legal claims from our clients and users, including for breach of contract or breach of warranty.
Our online services are dependent on the development and maintenance of the Internet infrastructure
Our ability to deliver our online services is dependent on the development and maintenance of the infrastructure of the Internet by third parties. The Internet has experienced a variety of outages and other delays as a result of damages to portions of its infrastructure, and it could face outages and delays in the future. The Internet has also experienced, and is likely to continue to experience, significant growth in the number of users and the amount of traffic. If the Internet continues to experience increased usage, the Internet infrastructure may be unable to support the demands placed on it. In addition, the reliability and performance of the Internet may be harmed by increased usage or by denial-of-service attacks. Any resulting interruptions in our services or increases in response time could, if significant, result in a loss of potential or existing users of and advertisers and sponsors on our Web sites and, if sustained or repeated, could reduce the attractiveness of our services.
Customers who utilize our online services depend on Internet service providers and other Web site operators for access to our Web sites. All of these providers have experienced significant outages in the past and could experience outages, delays and other difficulties in the future due to system failures unrelated to our systems. Any such outages or other failures on their part could reduce traffic to our Web sites.
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Risks Related to the Legal and Regulatory Environment in Which We Operate
Government regulation of healthcare creates risks and challenges with respect to our compliance efforts and our business strategies
The healthcare industry is highly regulated and is subject to changing political, legislative, regulatory and other influences. Existing and new laws and regulations affecting the healthcare industry could create unexpected liabilities for us, could cause us to incur additional costs and could restrict our operations. Many healthcare laws are complex, and their application to specific products and services may not be clear. In particular, many existing healthcare laws and regulations, when enacted, did not anticipate the healthcare information services that we provide. However, these laws and regulations may nonetheless be applied to our products and services. Our failure to accurately anticipate the application of these laws and regulations, or other failure to comply, could create liability for us, result in adverse publicity and negatively affect our businesses. Some of the risks we face from healthcare regulation are as follows:
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| • | Regulation of Drug and Medical Device Advertising and Promotion. The WebMD Health Network provides services involving advertising and promotion of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and medical devices. If the FDA or the FTC finds that any information on The WebMD Health Network or in WebMD the Magazine violates FDA or FTC regulations, they may take regulatory or judicial action against usand/or the advertiser or sponsor of that information. State attorneys general may also take similar action based on their state’s consumer protection statutes. Any increase or change in regulation of drug or medical device advertising and promotion could make it more difficult for us to contract for sponsorships and advertising. Members of Congress, physician groups and others have criticized the FDA’s current policies, and have called for restrictions on advertising of prescription drugs to consumers and increased FDA enforcement. We cannot predict what actions the FDA or industry participants may take in response to these criticisms. It is also possible that new laws would be enacted that impose restrictions on such advertising. Our advertising and sponsorship revenue could be materially reduced by additional restrictions on the advertising of prescription drugs and medical devices to consumers, whether imposed by law or regulation or required under policies adopted by industry members. |
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| • | Anti-kickback Laws. There are federal and state laws that govern patient referrals, physician financial relationships and inducements to healthcare providers and patients. The federal healthcare programs’ anti-kickback law prohibits any person or entity from offering, paying, soliciting or receiving anything of value, directly or indirectly, for the referral of patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs or the leasing, purchasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the lease, purchase or order of any item, good, facility or service covered by these programs. Many states also have similar anti-kickback laws that are not necessarily limited to items or services for which payment is made by a federal healthcare program. These laws are applicable to manufacturers and distributors and, therefore, may restrict how we and some of our customers market products to healthcare providers, includinge-details. Any determination by a state or federal regulatory agency that any of our practices violate any of these laws could subject us to civil or criminal penalties and require us to change or terminate some portions of our business and could have an adverse effect on our business. Even an unsuccessful challenge by regulatory authorities of our practices could result in adverse publicity and be costly for us to respond to. |
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| • | Medical Professional Regulation. The practice of most healthcare professions requires licensing under applicable state law. In addition, the laws in some states prohibit business entities from practicing medicine. If a state determines that some portion of our business violates these laws, it may seek to have us discontinue those portions or subject us to penalties or licensure requirements. Any determination that we are a healthcare provider and have acted improperly as a healthcare provider may result in liability to us. |
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Government regulation of the Internet could adversely affect our business
The Internet and its associated technologies are subject to government regulation. Our failure, or the failure of our business partners or third-party service providers, to accurately anticipate the application of laws and regulations affecting our products and services and the manner in which we deliver them, or any other failure to comply with such laws and regulations, could create liability for us, result in adverse publicity and negatively affect our business. In addition, new laws and regulations, or new interpretations of existing laws and regulations, may be adopted with respect to the Internet or other online services covering user privacy, patient confidentiality, consumer protection and other issues, including pricing, content, copyrights and patents, distribution and characteristics and quality of products and services. We cannot predict whether these laws or regulations will change or how such changes will affect our business.
We face potential liability related to the privacy and security of personal information we collect from or on behalf of users of our services
Privacy of personal health information, particularly personal health information stored or transmitted electronically, is a major issue in the United States. The Privacy Standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (or HIPAA) establish a set of basic national privacy standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information by health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and healthcare providers (referred to as covered entities) and their business associates. Only covered entities are directly subject to potential civil and criminal liability under the Privacy Standards. Accordingly, the Privacy Standards do not apply directly to us. However, portions of our business, such as those managing employee or plan member health information for employers or health plans, are or may be business associates of covered entities and are bound by certain contracts and agreements to use and disclose protected health information in a manner consistent with the Privacy Standards. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we could potentially be subject to criminal liability for aiding and abetting or conspiring with a covered entity to violate the Privacy Standards. We cannot assure you that we will adequately address the risks created by the Privacy Standards. In addition, we are unable to predict what changes to the Privacy Standards might be made in the future or how those changes could affect our business. Any new legislation or regulation in the area of privacy of personal information, including personal health information, could also affect the way we operate our business and could harm our business.
In addition, Internet user privacy and the use of consumer information to track online activities are major issues both in the United States and abroad. For example, in December 2007, the FTC published for comment proposed principles to govern tracking of consumers’ activities online in order to deliver advertising targeted to the interests of individual consumers. We have privacy policies posted on our Web sites that we believe comply with applicable laws requiring notice to users about our information collection, use and disclosure practices. However, whether and how existing privacy and consumer protection laws in various jurisdictions apply to the Internet is still uncertain. We also notify users about our information collection, use and disclosure practices relating to data we receive through offline means such as paper health risk assessments. We cannot assure you that the privacy policies and other statements we provide to users of our products and services, or our practices will be found sufficient to protect us from liability or adverse publicity in this area. A determination by a state or federal agency or court that any of our practices do not meet applicable standards, or the implementation of new standards or requirements, could adversely affect our business.
Failure to maintain our CME accreditation could adversely affect Medscape’s ability to provide online CME offerings
Medscape’s CME activities are planned and implemented in accordance with the current Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, or ACCME, which oversees providers of CME credit, and other applicable accreditation standards. In 2007, ACCME revised its standards for commercial support of CME. The revised standards are intended to ensure, among other things, that CME activities of ACCME-accredited providers, such as Medscape, are independent of “commercial interests,” which are now defined as entities that produce, market, re-sell or distribute health care goods and services, excluding certain organizations. “Commercial interests,” and entities owned or controlled by “commercial
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interests,” are ineligible for accreditation by the ACCME. The revised standards also provide that accredited CME providers may not place their CME content on Web sites owned or controlled by a “commercial interest.” In addition, accredited CME providers may no longer ask “commercial interests” for speaker or topic suggestions, and are also prohibited from asking “commercial interests” to review CME content prior to delivery.
As a result of the revised standards, we have made certain adjustments to our corporate structure, management and operations intended to ensure that Medscape will continue to provide CME activities that are developed independently from those programs developed by its sister companies, which may not be independent of “commercial interests.” ACCME required accredited providers to implement changes relating to placing CME content on websites owned or controlled by “commercial interests” by January 1, 2008 and is requiring accredited providers to implement any corporate structural changes necessary to meet the revised standards regarding the definition of “commercial interest” by August 2009. We believe that the adjustments that we and Medscape have made to our structure and operations satisfy the revised standards.
Medscape’s current ACCME accreditation expires at the end of July 2010. In order for Medscape to renew its accreditation, it will be required to demonstrate to the ACCME that it continues to meet ACCME requirements. If Medscape fails to maintain its status as an accredited ACCME provider (whether at the time of such renewal or at an earlier time as a result of a failure to comply with existing or additional ACCME standards), it would not be permitted to accredit ACCME activities for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Instead, it would be required to use third parties to provide such CME-related services. That, in turn, could discourage potential sponsors from engaging Medscape to develop CME or education-related activities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Government regulation and industry initiatives could adversely affect the volume of sponsored online CME programs implemented through our Web sites or require changes to how Medscape offers CME
CME activities may be subject to government regulation by Congress, the FDA, the OIG, HHS, the federal agency responsible for interpreting certain federal laws relating to healthcare, and by state regulatory agencies. Medscapeand/or the sponsors of the CME activities that Medscape accredits may be subject to enforcement actions if any of these CME activities are deemed improperly promotional, potentially leading to the termination of sponsorships.
During the past several years, educational activities, including CME, directed at physicians have been subject to increased governmental scrutiny to ensure that sponsors do not influence or control the content of the activities. In response, pharmaceutical companies and medical device companies have developed and implemented internal controls and procedures that promote adherence to applicable regulations and requirements. In implementing these controls and procedures, Medscape’s various sponsors may interpret the regulations and requirements differently and may implement varying procedures or requirements. These controls and procedures:
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| • | may discourage pharmaceutical companies from providing grants for independent educational activities; |
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| • | may slow their internal approval for such grants; |
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| • | may reduce the volume of sponsored educational programs that Medscape produces to levels that are lower than in the past, thereby reducing revenue; and |
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| • | may require Medscape to make changes to how it offers or provides educational programs, including CME. |
In addition, future changes to laws and regulations, or to the internal compliance programs of supporters or supporters, may further discourage, significantly limit, or prohibit supporters or potential supporters from engaging in educational activities with Medscape, or may require Medscape to make further changes in the way it offers or provides educational programs.
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We may not be successful in protecting our intellectual property and proprietary rights
Our intellectual property and proprietary rights are important to our businesses. The steps that we take to protect our intellectual property, proprietary information and trade secrets may prove to be inadequate and, whether or not adequate, may be expensive. We rely on a combination of trade secret, patent and other intellectual property laws and confidentiality procedures and non-disclosure contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property. We cannot assure you that we will be able to detect potential or actual misappropriation or infringement of our intellectual property, proprietary information or trade secrets. Even if we detect misappropriation or infringement by a third party, we cannot assure you that we will be able to enforce our rights at a reasonable cost, or at all. In addition, our rights to intellectual property, proprietary information and trade secrets may not prevent independent third-party development and commercialization of competing products or services.
Third parties may claim that we are infringing their intellectual property, and we could suffer significant litigation or licensing expenses or be prevented from providing certain services, which may harm our business
We could be subject to claims that we are misappropriating or infringing intellectual property or other proprietary rights of others. These claims, even if not meritorious, could be expensive to defend and divert management’s attention from our operations. If we become liable to third parties for infringing these rights, we could be required to pay a substantial damage award and to develop non-infringing technology, obtain a license or cease selling the products or services that use or contain the infringing intellectual property. We may be unable to develop non-infringing products or services or obtain a license on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. We may also be required to indemnify our customers if they become subject to third-party claims relating to intellectual property that we license or otherwise provide to them, which could be costly.
Third parties may challenge the enforceability of our online agreements
The law governing the validity and enforceability of online agreements and other electronic transactions is evolving. We could be subject to claims by third parties that the online terms and conditions for use of our Web sites, including disclaimers or limitations of liability, are unenforceable. A finding by a court that these terms and conditions or other online agreements are invalid could harm our business.
We may be subject to claims brought against us as a result of content we provide
Consumers access health-related information through our online services, including information regarding particular medical conditions and possible adverse reactions or side effects from medications. If our content, or content we obtain from third parties, contains inaccuracies, it is possible that consumers, employees, health plan members or others may sue us for various causes of action. Although our Web sites contain terms and conditions, including disclaimers of liability, that are intended to reduce or eliminate our liability, the law governing the validity and enforceability of online agreements and other electronic transactions is evolving. We could be subject to claims by third parties that our online agreements with consumers and physicians that provide the terms and conditions for use of our public or private portals are unenforceable. A finding by a court that these agreements are invalid and that we are subject to liability could harm our business and require costly changes to our business.
We have editorial procedures in place to provide quality control of the information that we publish or provide. However, we cannot assure you that our editorial and other quality control procedures will be sufficient to ensure that there are no errors or omissions in particular content. Even if potential claims do not result in liability to us, investigating and defending against these claims could be expensive and time consuming and could divert management’s attention away from our operations. In addition, our business is based on establishing the reputation of our portals as trustworthy and dependable sources of healthcare information. Allegations of impropriety or inaccuracy, even if unfounded, could therefore harm our reputation and business.
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Risks Related to the Proposed Merger with HLTH Corporation
and to the Existing Relationship between WebMD and HLTH
The HLTH Merger will result in a substantial increase in the number of shares of WebMD Common Stock available for trading, which could depress the price of such stock and/or increase the volatility of the price of such stock, both before and after completion of the HLTH Merger
Although the HLTH Merger is expected to reduce the total number of outstanding shares of WebMD Common Stock, the HLTH Merger will greatly increase the number of such shares available for sale in the public markets. Currently, all 48,100,000 outstanding shares of WebMD Class B Common Stock are held by HLTH and do not trade in the public markets. As of March 31, 2008, approximately 9,150,000 shares of WebMD Class A Common Stock (the class traded publicly) were outstanding. In the HLTH Merger, the WebMD Class B Common Stock will be extinguished, but more than 36,000,000 new shares of WebMD Common Stock will be issued to holders of HLTH Common Stock and become immediately available for sale. Additional shares could become available for sale at or after that time depending upon:
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| • | whether holders of options to purchase HLTH Common Stock exercise those options and the timing of such exercises; and |
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| • | whether holders of convertible notes issued by HLTH convert those notes and the timing of any such conversions. |
Sales of large amounts of WebMD Common Stock could depress the market price of WebMD Common Stock. In addition, the potential that such sales may occur could depress prices even in advance of such sales. We cannot predict the effect that the HLTH Merger will have on the price of WebMD Common Stock, both before and after completion of the HLTH Merger.
The HLTH Merger is subject to closing conditions that, if not satisfied or waived, will result in the HLTH Merger not being completed, which may cause the market price of WebMD Class A Common Stock to decline
The HLTH Merger is subject to customary conditions to closing, including the receipt of required approvals of the stockholders of HLTH and WebMD and receipt of opinions of counsel relating to tax matters. In addition, the HLTH Merger is subject to deal-specific closing conditions, including: the combined company having a sufficient amount of available cash at closing to pay the cash portion of the merger consideration while leaving an agreed upon amount of cash in the combined company, calculated pursuant to a formula contained in the Merger Agreement; and completion of the sale, by HLTH, of either ViPS or Porex. If any condition to the HLTH Merger is not satisfied or, if permissible, waived, the HLTH Merger will not be completed. Generally, waiver by WebMD of a condition to closing of the HLTH Merger will require approval of the Special Committee of the WebMD Board that negotiated the transaction with HLTH. We cannot predict what the effect on the market price of WebMD Class A Common Stock would be if the HLTH Merger is not able to be completed, but depending on market conditions at the time, it could result in a decline in that market price. In addition, if there is uncertainty regarding whether the HLTH Merger will be completed (including uncertainty regarding whether the conditions to closing will be met), that could result in a decline in the market price of WebMD Class A Common Stock or an increase in the volatility of that market price.
In the event that HLTH does not sell either ViPS or Porex prior to the closing of the HLTH Merger, WebMD would become exposed to the risks inherent in the ownership of the remaining business
HLTH has announced that it plans to divest its ViPS and Porex businesses. Completion of the sale of one of those businesses is a condition to closing of the HLTH Merger. However, the HLTH Merger could be completed before the sale of the other such business. In that case, WebMD (as the surviving company in the HLTH Merger) would become the owner of that business and the sale process would continue. WebMD would then be subject to the risk that the proceeds from the sale of that business are less than expected and all other risks inherent in the ownership of that business. There can be no assurances regarding whether WebMD would be able to complete such sale or as to the timing or terms of such transaction. Even if HLTH has entered into
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an agreement with an acquirer with respect to the remaining business prior to completion of the HLTH Merger, WebMD would be subject to the risk that the conditions to closing provided for in such agreement might not be met.
The financial results and operations of ViPS and Porex could be adversely affected by the diversion of management resources to the sale process and by uncertainty regarding the outcome of the process. For example, the uncertainty of who will own those businesses in the future could lead such business to lose or fail to attract employees, customers or business partners. This could adversely affect their operations and financial results and, as a result, the sale prices that HLTH or WebMD may receive for such businesses.
We continue to be dependent on HLTH to provide us with services required by us for the operation of our business
Some of the administrative services we require continue to be provided to us by HLTH under a Services Agreement. Under the Services Agreement, HLTH provides us with administrative services, including services relating to payroll, accounting, tax planning and compliance, employee benefit plans, legal matters and information processing. As a result, we are dependent on our relationship with HLTH for these important services. We reimburse HLTH underagreed-upon formulas that allocate to us a portion of HLTH’s aggregate costs related to those services. The Services Agreement is for a term of up to five years from the date of our initial public offering; however, we have the option to terminate these services, in whole or in part, at any time we choose to do so, generally by providing, with respect to specified services or groups of services, 60 days’ notice and, in some cases, paying a termination fee of not more than $30,000 to cover the costs of HLTH relating to the termination.
The costs we are charged under the Services Agreement are not necessarily indicative of the costs that we would incur if we had to provide the services on our own or contract for them with third parties on a stand-alone basis. With respect to most of the services provided under the Services Agreement, we believe that it is likely that it would cost us more to provide them or contract for them on our own because we benefit from economies of scale.
The concentrated ownership of our common stock by HLTH and certain corporate governance arrangements prevent our other stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions
We have two classes of common stock:
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| • | Class A Common Stock, which entitles the holder to one vote per share on all matters submitted to our stockholders; and |
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| • | Class B Common Stock, which entitles the holder to five votes per share on all matters submitted to our stockholders. |
HLTH owns 100% of our Class B Common Stock, which represents approximately 83.4% of our outstanding common stock, which includes the impact of shares to be issued pursuant to the purchase agreement of Subimo, LLC. These Class B shares collectively represent 96% of the combined voting power of our outstanding common stock. Given its ownership interest, HLTH is able to control the outcome of all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election of directors and the HLTH Merger (which HLTH has agreed, in the Merger Agreement, to vote to approve). Accordingly, except as specifically provided in the Merger Agreement, either in its capacity as a stockholder or through its control of our Board of Directors, HLTH is able to control all key decisions regarding our company, including mergers or other business combinations and acquisitions, dispositions of assets, future issuances of our common stock or other securities, the incurrence of debt by us, the payment of dividends on our common stock (including the frequency and the amount of dividends that would be payable on our common stock, a substantial majority of which HLTH owns) and amendments to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. Further, as long as HLTH and its subsidiaries (excluding our company and our subsidiaries) continue to beneficially own shares representing at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of our outstanding voting stock, it may take actions required to be taken at a meeting of stockholders without a meeting or a vote and without prior notice to holders of our Class A Common Stock. In addition, HLTH’s controlling interest may discourage
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a change of control that the holders of our Class A Common Stock may favor. Any of these provisions could be used by HLTH for its own advantage to the detriment of our other stockholders and our company. This in turn may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A Common Stock.
The interests of HLTH may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders
We cannot assure you that the interests of HLTH will coincide with the interests of the other holders of our common stock. For example, except as specifically provided in the Merger Agreement, HLTH could cause us to make acquisitions that increase the amount of our indebtedness or outstanding shares of common stock or sell revenue-generating assets. Also, HLTH or its directors and officers may allocate to HLTH or its other affiliates corporate opportunities that could have been directed to us. So long as HLTH continues to own shares of our common stock with significant voting power, HLTH will continue to be able to strongly influence or effectively control our decisions.
Some of our directors, officers and employees may have potential conflicts of interest as a result of having positions with or owning equity interests in HLTH
Martin J. Wygod, in addition to being Chairman of the Board of our company, is Chairman of the Board and Acting Chief Executive Officer of HLTH. Some of our other directors, officers and employees also serve as directors, officers or employees of HLTH. In addition, some of our directors, officers and employees own shares of HLTH’s common stock. Furthermore, because our officers and employees have participated in HLTH’s equity compensation plans and because service at our company will, so long as we are a majority-owned subsidiary of HLTH, qualify those persons for continued participation and continued vesting of equity awards under HLTH’s equity plans, many of our officers and employees and some of our directors hold, and may continue to hold, options to purchase HLTH’s common stock and shares of HLTH’s restricted stock.
These arrangements and ownership interests or cash- or equity-based awards could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when directors or officers who own HLTH’s stock or stock options or who participate in HLTH’s benefit plans are faced with decisions that could have different implications for HLTH than they do for us. We cannot assure you that the provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation will adequately address potential conflicts of interest or that potential conflicts of interest will be resolved in our favor.
Provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover, which could adversely affect the value of our Class A Common Stock
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, as well as Delaware corporate law, contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change of control or changes in our management and Board of Directors that holders of our Class A Common Stock might consider favorable and may prevent them from receiving a takeover premium for their shares. These provisions include, for example, our classified board structure, the disproportionate voting rights of the Class B Common Stock (relative to the Class A Common Stock) and the authorization of our Board of Directors to issue up to 50 million shares of preferred stock without a stockholder vote. In addition, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that after the time HLTH and its affiliates cease to own, in the aggregate, a majority of the combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock, stockholders may not act by written consent and may not call special meetings. These provisions apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some of our stockholders. If a change of control or change in management is delayed or prevented, the market price of our Class A Common Stock could decline.
We may be prevented from issuing stock to raise capital, to effectuate acquisitions or to provide equity incentives to members of our management and Board of Directors
Beneficial ownership of at least 80% of the total voting power and value of our capital stock is required in order for HLTH to continue to include us in its consolidated group for federal income tax purposes, and beneficial ownership of at least 80% of the total voting power of our capital stock and 80% of each class of any non-voting capital stock that we may issue is required in order for HLTH to effect a tax-free split-off,
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spin-off or other similar transaction. Under the terms of the tax sharing agreement that we have entered into with HLTH, we have agreed that we will not knowingly take or fail to take any action that could reasonably be expected to preclude HLTH’s ability to undertake a tax-free split-off or spin-off. This may prevent us from issuing additional equity securities to raise capital, to effectuate acquisitions or to provide management or director equity incentives.
We are included in HLTH’s consolidated tax return and, as a result, both we and HLTH may use each other’s net operating loss carryforwards
Due to provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and applicable Treasury regulations relating to the manner and order in which net operating loss carryforwards are utilized when filing consolidated tax returns, a portion of our net operating loss carryforwards may be required to be utilized by HLTH before HLTH would be permitted to utilize its own net operating loss carryforwards. Correspondingly, in some situations, such as where HLTH’s net operating loss carryforwards were generated first, we may be required to utilize a portion of HLTH’s net operating loss carryforwards before we would have to utilize our own net operating loss carryforwards. Under our tax sharing agreement with HLTH, neither we nor HLTH is obligated to reimburse the other for the tax savings attributable to the utilization of the other party’s net operating loss carryforwards, except that HLTH has agreed to compensate us for any use of our net operating losses that may result from certain extraordinary transactions, including the sales in 2006 of its Business Services and Practice Services operating segments (for which compensation has been received). Accordingly, although we may obtain a benefit if we are required to utilize HLTH’s net operating loss carryforwards, we may suffer a detriment to the extent that HLTH is required to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards. The amount of each of our and HLTH’s net operating loss carryforwards that ultimately could be utilized by the other party will depend on the timing and amount of taxable income earned by us and HLTH in the future, which we are unable to predict. Correspondingly, we are not able to predict whether we or HLTH will be able to utilize our respective net operating loss carryforwards before they expire or whether there will be a net benefit to HLTH or to us.
If certain transactions occur with respect to our capital stock or HLTH’s capital stock, we may be unable to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits to reduce our income taxes
As of December 31, 2007, we had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $272 million for federal income tax purposes and federal tax credits of approximately $2.7 million residing within the WebMD legal entities, which excludes the impact of any unrecognized tax benefit. If certain transactions occur with respect to our capital stock or HLTH’s capital stock, including issuances, redemptions, recapitalizations, exercises of options, conversions of convertible debt, purchases or sales by 5%-or-greater shareholders and similar transactions, that result in a cumulative change of more than 50% of the ownership of our capital stock, taking into account indirect changes in ownership of our stock as a result of changes in ownership in or HLTH’s capital stock, over a three-year period (including a period commencing prior to our initial public offering), as determined under rules prescribed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and applicable Treasury regulations, an annual limitation would be imposed with respect to our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and federal tax credits against any taxable income that we achieve in future periods. HLTH is not subject to any contractual obligation to retain any of its Class B Common Stock. Moreover, there can be no assurance that limitations on the use of our net operating loss carryforwards and federal tax credits will not occur as a result of changes in the ownership of HLTH’s capital stock (which changes may be beyond the control of us and HLTH). We expect the HLTH Merger to result in a cumulative change of more than 50% of the ownership of HLTH’s capital, as determined under rules prescribed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and applicable Treasury regulations. However, we are currently unable to calculate the annual limitation that would be imposed on our ability to utilize the net operating loss carryforwards and federal tax credits.
We are included in HLTH’s consolidated group for federal income tax purposes and, as a result, may beliable for any shortfall in HLTH’s federal income tax payments
We will be included in the HLTH consolidated group for federal income tax purposes as long as HLTH continues to own 80% of the total value of our capital stock. By virtue of its controlling ownership and our
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tax sharing agreement with HLTH, HLTH effectively controls all our tax decisions. Moreover, notwithstanding the tax sharing agreement, federal tax law provides that each member of a consolidated group is jointly and severally liable for the group’s entire federal income tax obligation. Thus, to the extent HLTH or other members of the group fail to make any federal income tax payments required of them by law, we would be liable for the shortfall. Similar principles generally apply for income tax purposes in some state, local and foreign jurisdictions.
Other Risks Applicable to Our Company and to Ownership of Our Securities
Negative conditions in the market for certain auction rate securities may result in WebMD incurring a loss on such investments
As of March 31, 2008, WebMD had a total of approximately $168.4 million (face value) of investments in certain auction rate securities (ARS). The types of ARS investments that WebMD owns are backed by student loans, 97% of which are guaranteed under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), and all had credit ratings of AAA or Aaa when purchased. WebMD does not own any other type of ARS investments.
Recent negative conditions in the regularly held auctions for these securities have prevented holders from being able to liquidate their holdings through that type of sale. As a result, WebMD has determined that the fair value of the ARS as of March 31, 2008 was $141.0 million. Accordingly, WebMD has recorded an impairment charge of $27.4 million related to these securities in its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. In the event WebMD needs to or wants to sell its ARS investments, it may not be able to do so until a future auction on these types of investments is successful or until a buyer is found outside the auction process. If potential buyers are unwilling to purchase the investments at their carrying amount, WebMD would incur a loss on any such sales.
Acquisitions, business combinations and other transactions may be difficult to complete and, if completed, may have negative consequences for our business and our securityholders
WebMD has been built, in part, through acquisitions. We intend to continue to seek to acquire or to engage in business combinations with companies engaged in complementary businesses. In addition, we may enter into joint ventures, strategic alliances or similar arrangements with third parties. These transactions may result in changes in the nature and scope of our operations and changes in our financial condition. Our success in completing these types of transactions will depend on, among other things, our ability to locate suitable candidates and negotiate mutually acceptable terms with them, and to obtain adequate financing. Significant competition for these opportunities exists, which may increase the cost of and decrease the opportunities for these types of transactions. Financing for these transactions may come from several sources, including:
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| • | cash and cash equivalents on hand and marketable securities; |
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| • | proceeds from the incurrence of indebtedness; and |
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| • | proceeds from the issuance of additional Class A Common Stock, of preferred stock, of convertible debt or of other securities. |
The issuance of additional equity or debt securities could:
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| • | cause substantial dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders at the time of the issuance; |
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| • | cause substantial dilution of our earnings per share; |
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| • | subject us to the risks associated with increased leverage, including a reduction in our ability to obtain financing or an increase in the cost of any financing we obtain; |
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| • | subject us to restrictive covenants that could limit our flexibility in conducting future business activities; and |
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| • | adversely affect the prevailing market price for our outstanding securities. |
We do not intend to seek securityholder approval for any such acquisition or security issuance unless required by applicable law, regulation or the terms of then existing securities.
Our business will suffer if we fail to successfully integrate acquired businesses and technologies or to assess the risks in particular transactions
We have in the past acquired, and may in the future acquire, businesses, technologies, services, product lines and other assets. The successful integration of the acquired businesses and assets into our operations, on a cost-effective basis, can be critical to our future performance. The amount and timing of the expected benefits of any acquisition, including potential synergies between our company and the acquired business, are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those relating to:
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| • | our ability to maintain relationships with the customers of the acquired business; |
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| • | our ability to retain or replace key personnel; |
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| • | potential conflicts in sponsor or advertising relationships; |
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| • | our ability to coordinate organizations that are geographically diverse and may have different business cultures; and |
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| • | compliance with regulatory requirements. |
We cannot guarantee that any acquired businesses will be successfully integrated with our operations in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all. Failure to successfully integrate acquired businesses or to achieve anticipated operating synergies, revenue enhancements or cost savings could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although our management attempts to evaluate the risks inherent in each transaction and to value acquisition candidates appropriately, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain all such risks or that acquired businesses and assets will perform as we expect or enhance the value of our company as a whole. In addition, acquired companies or businesses may have larger than expected liabilities that are not covered by the indemnification, if any, that we are able to obtain from the sellers.
We may not be able to raise additional funds when needed for our business or to exploit opportunities
We may need to raise additional funds to support expansion, develop new or enhanced applications and services, respond to competitive pressures, acquire complementary businesses or technologies or take advantage of unanticipated opportunities. If required, we may raise such additional funds through public or private debt or equity financing, strategic relationships or other arrangements. There can be no assurance that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all, or that such financing will not be dilutive to our stockholders.
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ITEM 3. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk |
Interest Rate Sensitivity
The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve principal and maintain adequate liquidity, while at the same time maximizing the yield we receive from our investment portfolio.
Changes in prevailing interest rates will cause the fair value of certain of our investments to fluctuate such as our investments in auction rate securities that generally bear interest at rates indexed to LIBOR. As of March 31, 2008, the fair market value of our auction rate securities was $141.0 million. However, the fair
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values of our cash and money market investments, which approximate $160 million at March 31, 2008 are not subject to changes in interest rates.
WebMD has entered into a non-recourse credit facility (“Credit Facility”) from Citigroup secured by its ARS holdings (including, in some circumstances, interest payable on the ARS holdings), that will allow WebMD to borrow up to 75% of the face amount of the ARS holdings pledged as collateral under the Credit Facility. The interest rate applicable to such borrowings will beone-month LIBOR plus 250 basis points. No borrowings have been made under the Credit Facility to date.
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ITEM 4. | Controls and Procedures |
As required by Exchange ActRule 13a-15(b), WebMD management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of WebMD’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Exchange ActRule 13a-15(e), as of March 31, 2008. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that WebMD’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2008.
In connection with the evaluation required by Exchange ActRule 13a-15(d), WebMD management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that no changes in WebMD’s internal control over financial reporting occurred during the first quarter of 2008 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, WebMD’s internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II
OTHER INFORMATION
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ITEM 2. | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
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(c) | Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities |
During the three months ended March 31, 2008, 3,571 shares were withheld from WebMD Restricted Stock that vested on January 17, 2008, on March 12, 2008, on March 14, 2008 and on March 27, 2008, in order to satisfy withholding tax requirements related to the vesting of the awards. The value of these shares, which was $119,827 in the aggregate, was determined based on the closing fair market value of our Class A Common Stock on the date of vesting, which was: $38.22 per share on January 17, 2008; $24.87 per share on March 12, 2008; $25.99 per share on March 14, 2008; and $24.59 per share on March 27, 2008. These were the only repurchases of equity securities made by us during the three months ended March 31, 2008. We do not have a repurchase program.
The exhibits listed in the accompanying Exhibit Index onpage E-1 are filed or furnished as part of this Quarterly Report.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
WebMD Health Corp.
Mark D. Funston
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Date: May 12, 2008
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit No. | | Description |
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| 2 | .1* | | Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 20, 2008, between HLTH Corporation and the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to Amendment No. 1, filed on February 25, 2008, to the Current Report onForm 8-K filed by the Registrant on February 21, 2008) |
| 2 | .2 | | Amendment No. 1, dated as of May 6, 2008, to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 20, 2008, between HLTH Corporation and WebMD Health Corp. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report onForm 8-K filed by the Registrant on May 7, 2008) |
| 3 | .1 | | Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Registration Statement onForm 8-A filed by the Registrant on September 29, 2005 (the“Form 8-A”)) |
| 3 | .2 | | Amended and Restated Bylaws of Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report onForm 8-K filed by the Registrant on December 17, 2007) |
| 10 | .1** | | WebMD, LLC Supplemental Bonus Program Trust Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.48 to Amendment No. 1, filed on April 29, 2008, to the Registrant’s Annual Report onForm 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007) |
| 31 | .1 | | Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Registrant |
| 31 | .2 | | Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Registrant |
| 32 | .1 | | Section 1350 Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Registrant |
| 32 | .2 | | Section 1350 Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Registrant |
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* | | Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) ofRegulation S-K. The Registrant will furnish copies of any of the exhibits and schedules to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. |
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** | | Agreement relates to executive compensation. |
E-1