Companies Developing New Digital Health Improvement Programs that Include Incentives through Walgreens Balance Rewards for Healthy Choices™
NEW YORK and DEERFIELD, IL, 2014-10-3— /EPR Retail News/ — WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ: WBMD) and Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) (NASDAQ: WAG) are partnering to improve health and wellness in America by helping and incenting consumers to make healthier choices at home, work and on-the-go.
In the coming months, the companies will work together to provide WebMD’s virtual wellness-coaching programs directly to Walgreens customers. Walgreens will also incorporate WebMD content on a variety of health topics, co-branded by WebMD and Walgreens, into its digital experience and stores. Additionally, visitors to WebMD will be able to easily use Walgreens prescription refill and clinic appointment scheduling options from within the WebMD site on their desktop or mobile device.
“WebMD is pleased to be working with Walgreens to make trusted health information and services available to consumers anywhere, anytime so they can make more informed choices and live a healthier life,” said David Schlanger, Chief Executive Officer, WebMD. “WebMD and Walgreens have a shared mission to improve health and wellness by empowering decision-making and motivating positive action. Working together, we will accelerate both companies’ efforts to realize this critical goal.”
“We’re excited to work with WebMD to provide our customers with new health resources,” said Alex Gourlay, President, Customer Experience and Daily Living, Walgreens. “Customers of both companies will benefit from WebMD’s digital engagement tools combined with assistance from Walgreens community pharmacists and nurse practitioners to help them adopt healthy lifestyles. As an added benefit, these consumers also can take advantage of the incentives included in Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices program.”
Among the features and services Walgreens and WebMD will offer consumers in the coming months are:
• Enhanced Products and Services
Walgreens will incorporate into its digital experience and stores select WebMD content in various topic areas, including: Allergy, Healthy Eating, Skincare, Fitness, Healthy Aging, Emotional Health, Heart Health, Cold & Flu, Sleep, and Oral Health. In addition, WebMD will make Walgreens online prescription refill and transfer services and Healthcare Clinic appointment scheduling available across WebMD’s desktop and mobile offerings.
• Lifestyle & Condition Management Programs
Walgreens will offer its customers access to WebMD’s virtual wellness-coaching programs that help individuals maintain and improve their health through positive lifestyle choices and healthy behavior change. Participants will be able to enroll in programs that help with smoking cessation, weight management, nutrition, exercise, stress management and emotional health, as well as in programs for managing conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Balance Rewards Integration
The companies plan to incorporate Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices program into the WebMD virtual-wellness coaching programs offered through Walgreens to incent members to participate in health-related activities. Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices helps people adopt healthy behaviors by earning Walgreens Balance Rewards loyalty program points through participation in health-related programs and tracking progress toward a goal. The companies also plan to integrate Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices program into WebMD’s Healthy Target mobile health improvement program to provide users the ability to earn Balance Rewards points for engaging in healthy behaviors. Available within WebMD’s flagship mobile app for iPhone, Healthy Target allows individuals looking to develop sustainable health-conscious habits to upload biometric device data from activity trackers, wireless scales and glucometers and to receive tailored, physician-reviewed, contextually relevant content and motivational tips.
Health, Wellness & Wearables @ Advertising Week
Schlanger and Gourlay will discuss the companies’ newly announced collaboration and talk about the changing health and wellness landscape today at Advertising Week. Their discussion, titled “The Health & Wellness Opportunity”, will take place during the Health, Wellness & Wearables session and will be moderated by Dan Childs, Managing Editor of ABC News’ Medical Unit.
About WebMD
WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ: WBMD) is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through our public and private online portals, mobile platforms and health-focused publications. The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, emedicineHealth, RxList, theheart.org, Medscape Education and other owned WebMD sites.
About Walgreens
As the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2014 sales of $76 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to be America’s most loved pharmacy-led health, wellbeing and beauty enterprise. Each day, in communities across America, more than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with online and mobile services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,207 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
WebMD Forward-Looking Statement
All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including those regarding: our expectations concerning market opportunities and our ability to capitalize on them; and the benefits expected from new products or services. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on our current plans and expectations, and they involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to be different than those described in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those relating to: market acceptance of our products and services; relationships with customers and strategic partners; and changes in economic, political or regulatory conditions or other trends affecting the healthcare, Internet and information technology industries. Further information about these matters can be found in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
WebMD®, Medscape®, CME Circle®, Medpulse®, eMedicine®, MedicineNet®, theheart.org® and RxList® are among the trademarks of WebMD Health Corp. or its subsidiaries.
Walgreens Forward-Looking Statement
Statements in this communication that are not historical are forward-looking statements for purposes of applicable securities laws. Words such as “expect,” “likely,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “can,” “will,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “target,” “continue,” “sustain,” “synergy,” “on track,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “may,” “possible,” “assume,” variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including: the risks that one or more closing conditions to the transactions may not be satisfied or waived, on a timely basis or otherwise, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transactions or that the required approvals by the Company’s shareholders may not be obtained; the risk of a material adverse change that the Company or Alliance Boots or either of their respective businesses may suffer as a result of disruption or uncertainty relating to the transactions; risks associated with changes in economic and business conditions generally or in the markets in which we or Alliance Boots participate; risks associated with new business areas and activities; risks associated with acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments and divestitures, including those associated with cross-border transactions; risks associated with governance and control matters; risks associated with the Company’s ability to timely arrange for and consummate financing for the contemplated transactions on acceptable terms; risks relating to the Company and Alliance Boots’ ability to successfully integrate our operations, systems and employees, realize anticipated synergies and achieve anticipated financial results, tax and operating results in the amounts and at the times anticipated; the potential impact of announcement of the transactions or consummation of the transactions on relationships and terms, including with employees, vendors, payers, customers and competitors; the amounts and timing of costs and charges associated with our optimization initiatives; our ability to realize expected savings and benefits in the amounts and at the times anticipated; changes in management’s assumptions; the risks associated with transitions in supply arrangements; risks that legal proceedings may be initiated related to the transactions; the amount of costs, fees, expenses and charges incurred by Walgreens and Alliance Boots related to the transactions; the ability to retain key personnel; changes in financial markets, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates; the risks associated with international business operations; the risk of unexpected costs, liabilities or delays; changes in network participation and reimbursement and other terms; risks associated with the operation and growth of our customer loyalty program; risks associated with outcomes of legal and regulatory matters, and changes in legislation, regulations or interpretations thereof; and other factors described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, and in other documents that we file or furnish with the SEC. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent required by law, Walgreens does not undertake, and expressly disclaims, any duty or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the date of this communication, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.