EXHIBIT 14.1
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[EMDEON LOGO]
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[WEBMD LOGO]
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Emdeon Corporation and WebMD Health
Corp.
Code of Business Conduct
As of February 8, 2006
To All Emdeon and WebMD Employees,
Emdeon Corporation and WebMD Health Corp. have adopted this
revised Code of Business Conduct as part of our continuing
efforts to communicate to all of our employees how we define
proper business conduct. The revisions we have made to our Code
of Business Conduct (which we sometimes refer to as our Code of
Conduct or simply as our Code) reflect the evolution of our
businesses and our ongoing commitment to protect and enhance our
reputation for integrity. In connection with the distribution of
this revised Code of Conduct, you will also be required to
participate in educational programs regarding business ethics.
Please read our Code of Conduct carefully and refer to it often.
It is your responsibility to understand what is expected of you.
If there is something you are unclear about or if you are not
sure what is required in a particular situation, dont
guess at the answer. Ask for help from one of the many sources
listed in the Code.
The consequences of not complying with our Code of Conduct can
be severe ranging from ruining your reputation and
career to possible criminal prosecution and incarceration.
Illegal and unethical conduct will also result in disciplinary
action, which may include termination. It is not an excuse that
a persons questionable conduct was intended to
benefit Emdeon or WebMD or was done with good
intentions.
Protecting our ethical corporate culture is not only the right
thing to do its also good business. Customers
and business partners judge us by our conduct, as well as by our
products and services. Stockholders and other investors want to
be associated only with companies that meet high standards for
honesty, integrity, and public responsibility. Each of you can
contribute to maintaining the trust and confidence of our
customers, business partners and investors by following both the
letter and spirit of our Code of Conduct.
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KEVIN M. CAMERON
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Chief Executive Officer, Emdeon Corporation
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WAYNE T. GATTINELLA
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Chief Executive Officer, WebMD Health Corp.
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MARTIN J. WYGOD
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Chairman of the Boards of Directors of
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Emdeon Corporation and
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WebMD Health Corp.
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I. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY
Our policy is to conduct business in an honest and ethical
manner and in accordance with the laws that apply to us
The Companies(1) seek to be good corporate citizens and to
achieve our business goals in a manner that enhances our
reputation for integrity. In order to do that, all of our
directors, officers and employees must act in an honest and
ethical manner and in accordance with law. We have instituted
this Code of Conduct as part of our efforts:
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to foster proper business conduct and ethical decision-making,
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to prevent unethical or unlawful behavior and to stop any such
behavior as soon as reasonably possible after its discovery.
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We expect you to follow this Code of Conduct and to report
any violations you become aware of
Under this Code of Conduct, all of our directors, officers and
employees, regardless of job, title or level of responsibility:
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is responsible for his or her own actions with respect to proper
business conduct and behavior, and
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if he or she sees or becomes aware of unethical or unlawful
activity, is obligated to report such activity immediately to
the Compliance Officer for this Code of Conduct (described in
Section III.C. below), to the appropriate General Counsel or
Chief Financial Officer or to one of the senior officers in our
Human Resources Department.
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Your supervisor or your Human Resources manager can help you
make the report. See also Section III.B.2 below for
information about reporting violations anonymously through our
Ethics and Compliance Hotline.
We also expect our contractors and consultants to be guided by
these standards.(2) It is the responsibility of the employees
retaining and supervising such persons to make sure that they
are aware of this Code of Conduct and follow its principles in
their work for the Companies.
Violations of this Code of Conduct will lead to
disciplinary action
To ensure compliance with this Code of Conduct, the Companies
will investigate and take such action as they determine
necessary to protect their best interests. In those cases where
(1)References to the Companies (or
we, our or similar pronouns) in this
Code of Conduct mean Emdeon Corporation and all of its
subsidiary companies (including WebMD Health Corp. and all of
its subsidiary companies).
(2)References to the terms employee
and personnel, as used throughout this Code of
Conduct, are generally intended to include in
addition to directors, officers and employees (full-time and
part-time) of the Companies contractors, consultants
and similar persons providing services at the direction of the
Companies. In some cases, implementation of the principles
contained in this Code of Conduct may be different for third
party service providers, depending on the scope and nature of
the services provided. For example, certain conflicts of
interest that would not be acceptable for an employee may
be acceptable for a contractor, depending on the nature of the
specific relationship. Please consult the Legal Department or
the Compliance Officer for guidance.
Page 2 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
violations have occurred, disciplinary action will be
taken ranging from reprimand to termination.
Violators may also be subject to criminal prosecution or civil
lawsuits.
Violations of our other policy statements may also be a
violation of this Code of Conduct
We have other policy statements designed to assist the Companies
and their employees in complying with applicable law and meeting
appropriate standards of conduct, including:
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the Policy Regarding Insider Trading, Tipping and Other Wrongful
Disclosures,
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the Communications Policy,
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the Electronic Communications Policy,
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the HIPAA Privacy Policies, and
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the Employee Handbook.
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Failure to comply with those policy statements will, in many
cases, also be a violation of this Code of Conduct. In addition,
our Finance Department, Legal Department, Human Resources
Department and our operating units have adopted, and may in the
future adopt, other written policies and procedures relating to
the conduct of the business of the Companies, the documenting of
transactions, record keeping and related matters. Employees must
comply with those policies and procedures and failure to do so
will generally also be a violation of this Code of Conduct.
USE GOOD JUDGMENT DONT IGNORE YOUR
INSTINCTS
FOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE ACTING:
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Will my actions meet the letter of the law or rule but
violate its spirit?
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Would my failing to act make the situation worse or allow
a wrong to continue?
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How would my actions look if they were reported on the
front page of the newspaper?
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Would we lose customers if my actions were known to
them?
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FOUR WARNING SIGNS. If you hear yourself or someone else
say:
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Everybody does it
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Maybe just this once
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No one will ever know
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It wont matter in the end
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STOP and think through the situation carefully, seek
guidance, and take the time necessary to reach the right
result.
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 3
II. GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYEE CONDUCT
Part II of our Code of Conduct provides guidelines for you
to follow in dealing with some specific ethical and legal
issues. Some of these guidelines are clear rules that you must
follow dos and donts for
specific situations. On the other hand, ethical issues often
involve balancing competing interests and making value
judgments. As a result, many of these guidelines provide general
principles that must be applied by you based on the facts you
are faced with. Sometimes applying those principles will be
easy, and the proper business conduct will be clear. However, we
often face complicated issues, where the right path to take may
not be obvious or where there may be differences of opinion
regarding proper conduct. It is each employees
responsibility to work through those issues, seek appropriate
advice and reach an answer that meets high ethical standards.
The people described below are available to help you. They will
be happy to answer your questions or to assist you in seeking
advice from other appropriate members of management.
How to Get Your Questions Answered
Whenever you have questions about the requirements of this
Code of Conduct or how they apply to your job, you should call
one or more of the following persons:
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your manager or supervisor,
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the head of your business unit or department,
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your Human Resources manager or other members of our Human
Resources Department,
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the Compliance Officer, and
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the appropriate General Counsel (of either Emdeon or WebMD)
or other members of the Legal Department.
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In addition, for questions relating to financial reporting,
accounting and related matters, you may contact the appropriate
Chief Financial Officer (of either Emdeon or WebMD) or other
members of the Finance Department.
Selected Contact Information
Our Compliance Officer is Lewis Leicher, an Assistant General
Counsel. He can be reached at 858-759-6008 or
lleicher@emdeon.com
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Emdeons General Counsel is Charles Mele. He can be
reached at 201-703-3426 or
cmele@emdeon.com
. WebMDs
General Counsel is Doug Wamsley. He can be reached at
212-624-3862 or
dwamsley@webmd.net
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Emdeons Chief Financial Officer is Andrew Corbin. He
can be reached at 201-398-2653 or
acorbin@emdeon.com
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WebMDs Chief Financial Officer is Tony Vuolo. He can be
reached 212-624-3706 or
avuolo@webmd.net
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In Human Resources, you can contact: Jeff Robinson at
201-414-2054 or
jrobinson@emdeon.com
for Emdeon; or Lois
Rickard at 404-541-2024 or
lrickard@webmd.net
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WebMD.
Our Human Resources counsel is Anne Smith. She can be reached
at 201-703-3427 or
asmith@emdeon.com
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Our Chief Privacy Officer is Jack Scheffel. He can be reached
at 201-703-3476 or
jscheffel@emdeon.com
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Page 4 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
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A.
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You may not use funds or assets of the Companies for any
unlawful or unethical purpose or for personal gain
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The use of the funds or assets of the Companies for any unlawful
or unethical purpose, including any political or commercial
bribery, is prohibited. In addition, no person may use his or
her position in the Companies or any funds or assets of the
Companies (including confidential information of the Companies)
for his or her personal gain.
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Our policy is to forgo any business that can be obtained
only by making improper or illegal payments or kickbacks
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No payment or gift shall be offered or made to a government
official to influence any discretionary decision by such person
in his or her official capacity. Should any such gifts or
payments be requested, our Legal Department should be contacted
immediately. Giving any gifts even gifts or
entertainment of nominal value to government
officials is highly regulated and often illegal.
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No payment shall be offered or made to an employee or
representative of an existing or potential customer or other
business partner to influence any business decision by such
person. Should any such payments be requested, our Legal
Department or the Compliance Officer should be contacted
immediately.
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In circumstances where it would not violate any other policy of
the Companies and would not create an appearance of impropriety
or be considered a business inducement, you may provide
non-monetary gifts or entertainment in accordance with the
policies and procedures and monetary limits applicable to your
business unit and job responsibilities. In general, such gifts
or entertainment must be of nominal value.
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Business meals with customers or other business partners are
permitted and expenses for those meals will be reimbursed in
accordance with applicable expense reimbursement policies.
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Subterfuge of any kind in making payments or other use of
the assets of the Companies is forbidden
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No payment by a third party on behalf of the Companies may be
authorized with the intention that any part of it is to be used
for any unlawful purpose.
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No payment or other use of assets or funds by the Companies may
be offered or made for a purpose other than that described by
the records supporting the payment.
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You may not accept payments or gifts that obligate you
with respect to matters relating to our business or that create
an appearance your decision-making would be improperly
influenced
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Gifts of any type or amount may never be solicited from
suppliers, customers or other business partners.
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Any form of a gift that may obligate one of our employees to act
in a particular manner with regard to our business is a bribe
and is not allowed, regardless of its value. In addition, you
may not accept cash gifts, regardless of amount.
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If a supplier, customer or other business partner offers you a
bribe, kickback or other improper payment, you should report the
attempt to the Compliance Officer or to the appropriate General
Counsel or Chief Financial Officer.
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CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 5
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You may accept gifts of nominal value ordinarily used for sales
promotion (for example, calendars, appointment books, pens,
etc.) and may accept other gifts consistent with local social
and business custom if reasonable in cost and frequency and
reported to your supervisor.
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Ordinary business lunches or reasonable
entertainment consistent with local social and business custom
is also permissible if reasonable in cost and frequency.
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If an employee receives a gift that would not be permitted by
the above guidelines, it must be reported to the employees
supervisor. We may ask the employee to return the gift or, if
return of the gift is not practical, it may be required to be
given to the Companies for charitable disposition or such other
disposition as may be appropriate. Please note that it is not
our desire for our employees to appear unfriendly or unsociable.
However, it is our policy to avoid any actions that may throw
doubt on the integrity or motivation of our employees or the
Companies.
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Do not advance your personal interests at the expense of
the Companies
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You may not take for yourself any opportunity for financial gain
that you find out about because of your position at any of the
Companies or through the use of property or information of any
of the Companies, unless the Chief Executive Officers of each of
Emdeon and WebMD have made a decision to forego the opportunity
(after seeking approval of the applicable Board of Directors if
needed).
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See below, under Conflicts of Interest Policy for
additional policies that apply.
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Protect the property and assets of the Companies and
ensure their proper use
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Employees must protect property and assets of the Companies from
loss, waste, damage or theft and must use them only for
legitimate business purposes.
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Assets of the Companies include funds, investments, facilities,
equipment, proprietary or confidential information, technology,
business plans, ideas for new products and services, trade
secrets, inventions, copyrightable materials and client lists.
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Unless otherwise prohibited by an employees supervisor,
limited and reasonable incidental use of telephone, computer or
similar equipment of the Companies is permitted, so long as it
does not interfere with business use and is in compliance with
all other applicable policies of the Companies.
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Any employee found to be engaging in, or attempting, theft of
any property of any of the Companies or any personal property of
other employees will be subject to termination and possible
civil and criminal proceedings. All employees have a
responsibility to report any theft or attempted theft to
appropriate management.
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See below, under Section II.F., Protection of
Proprietary Information for additional policies that apply.
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B.
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Conflicts of Interest Policy
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1.
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Failure to disclose a conflict of interest is a violation
of this Code of Conduct
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We expect our employees to be free from any influence that is
inconsistent with their obligations to the Companies. There are
many types of situations that may result in an employee having a
conflict of interest or a potential conflict of interest with
the Companies.
Page 6 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
Having a conflict of interest does not necessarily mean you have
done something improper however, the failure to
disclose the conflict of interest is a violation of this Code of
Conduct.
Because there are many different types of conflicts of interest,
there are also many different ways they can be resolved. For
example, if a conflict arises because a family member of an
employee takes a job with one of our customers, we can take
steps to make sure that the family member is not in a
decision-making position with respect to transactions with that
customer. However, those steps cannot be taken unless prompt and
complete disclosure has been made. Disclosure should be made to
the Compliance Officer or the appropriate General Counsel.
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2.
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Your business dealings on behalf of the Companies should
not be influenced, or appear to be influenced, by your personal
interests or your relationships with others
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We expect our employees, in their work for the Companies, to act
at all times in the best interests of the Companies.
Accordingly, employees should remain free from obligations to,
or relationships with, any person or company with whom we do
business or compete that could interfere with that. In addition,
as described above, it is also the duty of employees not to
utilize their position with the Companies for personal advantage
or gain.
The rights of our employees will be respected in the conduct of
their personal affairs and investments, provided that such
conduct does not adversely reflect upon the Companies or
conflict with their interests. Please note that any employee
invited to join a corporate board of directors (whether for a
public or private corporation) must obtain the approval of the
appropriate General Counsel prior to accepting such position.
Please note that this Conflicts of Interest Policy is directed
only to interests of a business or financial nature. It is not
intended to cover political, civic or charitable activities, or
professional organizations, in which employees are encouraged to
participate. However, your supervisors approval should be
secured in advance if there is a possibility that such outside
activities might interfere with the normal duties and
responsibilities of your job.
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3.
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The following are examples of conflict of interest
situations:
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While it is not possible to describe all situations and
conditions that might involve a conflict of interest, the
following examples indicate areas where conflicts may arise:
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Financial interests in competitors, customers, vendors, or
contractors.
Where an employee, close relative
(such as a member of his or her family, household, in-laws,
etc.), or any other person with whom the employee has a close
personal relationship, has a direct or indirect financial
interest in an organization which does business with or is a
competitor of one or more of the Companies, a conflict of
interest may exist. Such a conflict is unlikely if the financial
interest consists of holdings of less than one percent of any
class of securities in a widely held corporation listed on a
recognized stock exchange, or regularly traded on an
over-the-counter market, or if our transactions with that
corporation would not tend to either affect the value of such
securities or contribute materially to its earnings. However,
depending on the circumstances, a conflict of interest might
exist, even if the amount of holdings in such corporation is
less than one percent, where the employee is in a position to
control or influence our decisions or actions with respect to a
transaction with such corporation. In addition, if the
investment or interest by the employee, close relative, or any
other person with whom the employee has a close personal
relationship, is in a small
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CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 7
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organization doing business with us, a conflict of interest is
likely in view of the possible relative importance of the
transaction to such an organization.
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Serving in the management of customers, vendors,
contractors, or competitors.
Where an employee
serves as director, officer, or in any other management or
consulting capacity with, or renders other services to another
organization which does or is seeking to do business with us, or
which is a competitor, a conflict of interest will normally
exist.
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Transactions with contractors, customers, or vendors of
the Companies.
Where an employee, a close relative
of the employee, or any other person with whom the employee has
a close personal relationship, buys, sells, or leases (other
than on behalf of the Companies) any kind of property,
facilities, services, or equipment from or to any person or
organization which is, or is seeking to become, a contractor,
customer, or vendor of the Companies, a conflict of interest may
arise.
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A conflict would not normally exist, however, in cases of
routine personal purchases, sales, or leases made in the
ordinary course from or to a large established company, such as
for the employees personal household needs.
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On the other hand, if the employee, as part of his or her job
responsibilities for us, is in a position to make or influence
decisions pertaining to transactions with such a company, a
potential conflict of interest might exist, depending on the
circumstances, if he or she has any private transactions with
that company.
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Transactions with the Companies.
Any proposed
business transaction between any of the Companies and an
employee of any of the Companies (other than those relating to
the employees employment or services as an employee), or a
close relative of an employee, or any other person with whom the
employee has a close personal relationship would generally
involve or lead to a conflict and must be fully disclosed to
appropriate management in advance and requires approval by the
Legal Department or, in the case of a director, executive
officer or Senior Financial Officer of Emdeon or WebMD, approval
of the Audit Committee of the applicable company. The officers
who are Senior Financial Officers of each of Emdeon
and WebMD for purposes of this Code of Conduct are the principal
financial officer, comptroller or principal accounting officer
and persons performing similar functions of that company.
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Corporate opportunity.
Where an employee, a
close relative of the employee, or any other person with whom
the employee has a close personal relationship participates in
any personal venture or transaction involving any existing or
potential business activity or opportunity
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in which any of the Companies has an expressed interest or
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is of the type that any of the Companies would be expected to
consider
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a conflict of interest may be present, unless the Chief
Executive Officers of each of Emdeon and WebMD have made a
decision to forego the opportunity (after seeking approval of
the applicable Board of Directors if needed).
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The above examples are not intended to be an all-inclusive list
of possible conflicts. In addition, there are other situations
which, while not clear-cut conflicts of interest, may be
inconsistent with the high standards of business ethics that our
employees are expected to follow. As noted above, you should
disclose any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of
interest to the appropriate General Counsel or to the Compliance
Officer.
Page 8 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
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C.
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Policy Regarding Financial Reporting and
Recordkeeping
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It is our policy that all filings made by Emdeon or WebMD with
the Securities and Exchange Commission and all other public
communications made by the Companies comply with applicable
disclosure laws and regulations and NASDAQ Stock Market listing
requirements, including those relating to accuracy, completeness
and timeliness. The Senior Financial Officers and the Chief
Executive Officer of each of Emdeon and WebMD have direct
responsibility for compliance with this policy by the respective
companies. Certain members of the Legal, Finance and Investor
Relations Departments of the Companies have job responsibilities
specifically related to those disclosure requirements and work
closely with the applicable Senior Financial Officers and the
Chief Executive Officer to assist them in meeting their
responsibilities. In addition, all employees are expected to
support these efforts, including by providing prompt and
accurate answers to inquiries from these officers and employees
relating to disclosure requirements, and are required to act in
accordance with the following policies:
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1.
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Unauthorized transactions and illegal or improper
recordkeeping are not permitted
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Business transactions shall be reported promptly and accurately
in order to permit the preparation of accurate financial and
other records.
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Business transactions shall be executed only by employees
authorized to do so.
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Business transactions shall be evidenced by full and complete
written agreements in accordance with policies and procedures
approved by the Legal Department and the Finance Department.
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Acquisitions or dispositions of assets and other transactions
are permitted only with authorization by the appropriate
management levels.
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Employees are prohibited from knowingly making untrue or
misleading statements to our independent auditors or internal
auditors or causing anyone else to do so, and no employee may
seek to improperly influence, directly or indirectly, the
auditing of our financial records.
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Data transmitted and/or stored electronically by the Companies
shall be protected from errors, disasters, misuse, unauthorized
access, and fraud.
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2.
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No employee may create or participate in the creation of
any records that contain false information or that are intended
to mislead anyone or conceal anything that is improper.
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To ensure that records accurately and fairly represent all
business transactions:
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All assets and transactions must be recorded in normal books and
records.
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No unrecorded funds shall be established or maintained for any
purpose.
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All expense reports must accurately reflect the true nature of
the expense.
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Oral and written descriptions of transactions, whether completed
or contemplated, provided to those responsible for the
preparation or verification of financial records must be
accurate.
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If an employee becomes aware of any improper accounting or
financial reporting practice or any improperly recorded or
documented transaction, he or she should report the matter
immediately to the appropriate Chief Financial Officer or
General Counsel, or to the Compliance Officer or to
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 9
one of the senior officers in our Human Resources Department.
See also Section III.B.2 below, for information about
reporting anonymously through our Ethics and Compliance Hotline.
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D.
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Policy Regarding Governmental Investigations
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It is our policy to fully cooperate with any government
investigation involving any of the Companies. However, the
Companies should have the opportunity to be adequately
represented in such investigations by their own legal counsel.
Accordingly, if employees obtain information that would lead
them to believe that a government investigation or inquiry is
underway, this information should be communicated immediately to
the Legal Department. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell when a
routine government audit or inspection graduates into a
government investigation. We must rely on the common sense and
alertness of all of our employees for making this important
determination. If in doubt, employees should consult with the
Legal Department.
Appropriate handling of government investigations is very
important for the Companies, their management, and for all
employees. Many federal laws regulating the conduct of our
business (including antitrust, securities, privacy, OSHA,
environmental, tax, and financial laws) contain civil and
criminal penalties. The criminal penalties may apply to the
corporation and to those individuals within a company who
actually took the actions that violated the law or failed to
take actions that resulted in a violation of the law. In some
government investigations, the Companies lawyers can
protect the interest of both the Companies and their employees.
In some cases, there may be a conflict of interest between the
Companies and individual employees, and individual employees may
need their own legal counsel.
Employees should never, under any circumstances:
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destroy or alter any documents in anticipation of a request for
those documents from any government agency or a court,
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lie or make any misleading statements to any government
investigator, or
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attempt to cause any other company employee, or any other
person, to fail to provide information to any government
investigator or to provide any false or misleading information.
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The law guarantees all of us a right to be represented by legal
counsel during any investigation or inquiry by any government
agency. In view of the extremely technical nature of these
government investigations, we feel that the Companies should be
represented and that all of our employees should be made aware
of the opportunity for such representation. This applies any
time any government investigator wants to ask questions about
individual employee activities.
Employees also have this right if the questions are asked off
company property such as at your home during the
evening. There is no reason any individual should not be allowed
sufficient time to consult with legal counsel before answering
questions from governmental investigators that may subject that
employee to individual criminal or civil liability.
If a government inquiry arises through the issuance of a written
subpoena or written request for information (such as a Civil
Investigative Demand), such request should immediately, before
any action is taken or promised, be submitted to our Legal
Department.
Page 10 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
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1.
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Know, respect and comply with all laws, rules and
regulations applicable to the conduct of our businesses
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Many laws and regulations apply to us and our businesses.
Responsibility for compliance with law is part of
everyones job description. This section of the Code of
Conduct is intended to highlight some of the legal issues that
confront us. Many of the laws applicable to our business are
complex and evolving. We do not expect our employees to be
experts on these laws but we do expect you to:
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make the effort to understand the laws and company policies that
apply to your specific job responsibilities,
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review educational materials provided to you and participate in
all required training programs, and
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ask questions of and seek advice from our Legal Department and
be guided by the advice received.
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The remainder of this section discusses some specific types of
laws that apply to some or all of our businesses.
2. Privacy
Laws.
In the course of our business, we may come
into the possession of individually identifiable health
information or other confidential information of individuals.
This is an area that is highly regulated, with evolving legal
standards that place various obligations on us and our employees
regarding maintenance of the confidentiality of such information.
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Our HIPAA Privacy Policies govern how we use and disclose
certain kinds of health information that is protected under the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
(HIPAA) and its implementing Privacy Rule regulations.
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In addition, we may be subject to additional contractual
obligations with respect to maintaining the confidentiality of
such information.
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Finally, we have Privacy Policies posted on our Web sites that
set forth standards regarding our use of information collected
through those sites.
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Whenever a question arises as to the application of privacy laws
or regulations, employees should seek advice from our Chief
Privacy Officer or other attorneys in the Legal Department and
be guided by the advice received.
3. Antitrust
Laws.
The objective of the antitrust laws and other
laws governing competition is to promote vigorous competition by
prohibiting competitors from sharing certain information or
working together in certain ways that reduce competition. Our
policy is that all personnel comply with all applicable
antitrust laws and other laws governing competition. Employees
should consult with the Legal Department whenever any question
arises as to the possible application of the laws governing
competition and be guided by the advice received.
You should be aware that serious legal consequences, including
in some cases criminal fines and penalties, may result from
agreements or understandings with competitors, including any
such agreements:
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to set or control prices,
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to allocate customers or territories,
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CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 11
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on bidding terms or whether or not to submit a bid for
particular business or types of business, and
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to boycott customers or suppliers.
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Certain other types of communications with competitors and
certain ways of working together with competitors are permitted
under the antitrust laws, but you should consult with a member
of the Legal Department before any meetings or discussions with
competitors and should report back to the Legal Department on
the substance of any meetings or discussions that are held. An
example of the type of action that generally is permitted, under
Legal Department supervision, is participation by appropriate
employees as our representatives in industry associations or
trade groups.
4. Anti-Kickback
Law.
In the United States, there are federal and
state healthcare laws called Anti-Kickback Laws that prohibit
the offering of anything of value to a person that is intended
to influence that person to recommend or purchase a healthcare
product or service that may be reimbursed by Medicare or
Medicaid or state healthcare benefit programs. This is to ensure
that a healthcare providers decision about a choice of
treatment or product for his or her patient not be influenced by
motives of personal gain or enrichment. This law may apply to
some of our businesses, either directly or through our
relationships with customers, suppliers or other business
partners. It is our policy to cooperate with our customers in
their efforts to comply with law. Whenever a question arises as
to the application of healthcare laws or regulations and
whenever a customer, supplier or other business partner seeks
our assistance in their compliance efforts, employees should
seek advice from the attorneys in the Legal Department and be
guided by the advice received.
5. Other Healthcare
Laws.
There are various other healthcare laws that
may apply to our businesses, either directly or through our
relationships with customers. These laws cover areas that
include:
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reducing fraud and abuse in federal healthcare programs
(Medicare and Medicaid),
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eliminating the improper influence of financial incentives on
medical judgment,
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protecting patients and improving the quality of healthcare
services, and
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reducing the cost of healthcare.
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It is our policy to cooperate with our customers, suppliers and
other business partners in their efforts to comply with law.
Whenever a question arises as to the application of healthcare
laws or regulations and whenever a customer, supplier or other
business partner seeks our assistance in their compliance
efforts, employees should seek advice from the attorneys in the
Legal Department and be guided by the advice received.
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F.
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Protection of Proprietary Information.
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Proprietary information developed or acquired by the Companies
and not freely available to others is a valuable asset that must
be protected against theft or inadvertent loss. Improper
disclosure could destroy the value of such information to us and
substantially weaken our competitive position.
Various types of proprietary information include trade secrets,
as well as other technical, financial, and business information,
which we either wish to keep confidential or are under an
obligation to keep confidential. For example, such proprietary
information may concern products or services developed or being
developed by us, research results, cost data, marketing
Page 12 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
strategies, financial budgets, and long range plans. All such
information, at the time of development or acquisition, should
be clearly identified and marked Confidential and
the information and any copies (whether physical or electronic)
should be managed and kept in a manner designed to protect them
from accidental or unauthorized disclosure.
For protection of proprietary information, we necessarily rely
primarily on the loyalty, integrity, good faith, and alertness
of our employees. The understanding of this relationship is
confirmed by requesting execution of an agreement containing
non-disclosure obligations and other provisions designed to
protect our proprietary information. Upon leaving the Companies,
the obligation to safeguard our proprietary information
continues.
The disclosure of our proprietary information to persons outside
the Companies must be limited to those who have a strict
need-to-know; that is, the Companies need for
the outside parties to know. Unless the Legal Department has
specifically authorized making an exception, no disclosure of
proprietary information may be made until the outside party has
signed a written Confidentiality Agreement or other similar
written agreement, in a form approved by the Legal Department,
that imposes an obligation on the outside party neither to
disclose nor use the information in an unauthorized manner.
Even within the Companies, the disclosure of proprietary
information should be limited to those employees who have a need
for the information in order to fully perform their jobs.
The Legal Department is available to assist employees in the
legal aspects of protecting our proprietary information.
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G.
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Corporate Political Activity
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The Companies recognize that, in order for political systems to
function properly, participation by citizens in civic and
political affairs is a necessary and desirable undertaking. In
this regard, it is our policy to encourage employees to
participate actively in the political process, to be informed on
public issues and on the positions and qualifications of public
officials and candidates for public office, and to support,
through personal financial and other assistance, candidates, and
parties of their choice. It is our policy to comply fully with
applicable laws regulating corporate political activities.
In the United States, the Companies may, in accordance with
applicable federal, state, and local law, establish voluntary
political action committees to which employees may contribute
and which are independent of any political party, organization,
or candidate. Contributions may be made from these committees to
federal, state, and local candidates as permitted by federal and
state law.
Employees contributions to such committees will at all
times be absolutely voluntary. Participation or
non-participation will have no effect on the employment,
promotion, or compensation of any employee. Any employee who
feels pressured to contribute to any political fund, against
his/her wishes, is urged to report the facts to the Compliance
Officer, to the appropriate General Counsel or Chief Financial
Officer or to one of the senior officers in our Human Resources
Department.
In the United States, the Companies may make corporate campaign
contributions to state or local political parties, political
committees, or candidates for elective public office in those
states where such contributions are legal.
The Companies shall not make corporate contributions which
assume a second-step transaction which will benefit a party,
candidate, or committee not otherwise legally permitted to
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 13
receive corporate funds. In addition, the Companies do not pay
honoraria to public officials in any country, including federal
office holders in the United States. Exceptions may be made on
rare occasions for state office holders in the United States
where permitted by law and where the recipient appears at an
event organized by the Companies. Payment of the honoraria must
have received the prior written approval of the appropriate
General Counsel.
Although political contributions by corporations are lawful in
some countries, it is our policy not to contribute financially
to political parties or candidates outside of the United States
under any circumstances.
As a corporate citizen, and consistent with our policies, the
Companies may also express their views on public issues
affecting us or our stockholders or employees, or the geographic
areas in which we operate. In the United States, the Companies
may, in accordance with applicable law, (1) express their
views on and provide financial assistance in support of or in
opposition to public issues and elections such as bond issues,
tax proposals, governmental reorganizations, referenda, and
other propositions, and (2) supply personnel, support, and
assistance to governmental units or associations.
Recommendations for financial or other assistance are to be
submitted to the appropriate General Counsel and are to be
reviewed by the Legal Department to determine compliance with
applicable law. Such assistance must be approved by the
appropriate General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer.
It is against our policy, and may also be illegal, for any
employee to include, directly or indirectly, any political
contribution that the employee may desire to make on the
employees expense account or in any other way which causes
the Companies to reimburse the employee for that expense. In
general, the cost of fund-raising tickets for political
functions are considered political contributions. Therefore,
including the cost of any such fund-raising dinner on an expense
account, even if business is, in fact, discussed, is against our
policy and possibly illegal.
The political process is highly regulated. You should consult
with our Legal Department before doing anything that could be
construed as involving us in any political activity.
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H.
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Relations with Governmental Bodies and Agencies and their
Officials (and Former Officials)
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Doing business with federal, state and local government agencies
is subject to specific rules and regulations. These include
numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations relating
to control of the process of public procurement. Procurement
laws and regulations generally have four basic purposes:
(1) to obtain the best possible products and services at
the best value; (2) to encourage competition based on
specifications and evaluation criteria that allow interested
suppliers to respond; (3) to eliminate waste, fraud, and
abuse; and (4) to promote full and open competition. It is
our policy not to engage in any activities that could impair the
fairness of governmental procurement processes. All employees
involved in business or potential business with a governmental
body or agency must know and abide by the specific rules and
regulations covering business relations with those public
agencies.
All employees must also conduct themselves in a manner that
avoids any dealings which might be perceived as attempts to
improperly influence public officials in the performance of
their official duties and must not attempt to induce government
personnel to do anything they are prohibited from doing. As
stated in Section II.A. above, this Code of Conduct
prohibits offering or making any payment or gift to a government
official to influence any discretionary decision by such person
in his official capacity. Employees should deal with government
representatives in an atmosphere of openness. Meetings should
generally be scheduled in
Page 14 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
normal business locations and at normal business hours under
circumstances that could not be interpreted to imply concealment.
In addition, there are laws that restrict companies that do
business with governmental agencies from hiring as an employee
or retaining as a consultant any employees of those and other
governmental agencies (other than certain lower-level
governmental employees). These laws also prohibit informal
arrangements for possible future employment under certain
circumstances. Therefore, written clearance must be obtained
from the Legal Department before discussing possible future
employment by any of the Companies with
any
current
government employee (even if the discussion is initiated by the
government employee) and before hiring or retaining any former
government employee who left the government within the past two
years.
The process of doing business with governments and their
agencies is highly regulated and any violation of these laws and
regulations may subject the Companies to criminal prosecution
and may have other serious consequences for the Companies, both
with respect to the specific relationship where the violation
occurred as well as in our relationships with other governmental
agencies. The Legal Department is available to assist our
employees in complying with the rules and regulations applicable
to relations with governmental bodies and agencies and their
officials.
There are also laws and regulations that may affect the
eligibility of the Companies for certain business with
governmental bodies or agencies because of actual or potential
conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest may occur, for
example, when the degree of access to government information or
participation in the analysis or development of a governmental
requirement reaches a level that places a particular government
contractor at an unfair competitive advantage in bidding for
that business. Such conflicts of interest can result in bid
disqualifications and possible civil or criminal action. Various
actions, including the sharing of certain information between
our business units or particular groups of employees within a
business unit, may have adverse consequences under these laws
and regulations. The Legal Department is available to assist our
businesses and employees in complying with these laws and
regulations and in structuring our business activities to avoid
conflicts of interest when possible and in complying with any
related requirements for making disclosure to government
agencies of actual or potential conflicts of interest.
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I.
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Economic Sanctions and Trade Embargoes
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The United States government uses economic sanctions and trade
embargoes to further various foreign policy and national
security objectives. It is our policy to abide by the terms of
all economic sanctions or trade embargoes that the United States
has adopted, whether they apply to foreign countries, political
organizations or particular foreign individuals and entities.
Inquiries regarding whether a transaction on behalf of any of
the Companies complies with applicable sanction and trade
embargo programs should be referred to the appropriate General
Counsel. In addition, inquiries regarding any available
exemptions that the Companies may wish to seek in specific
cases, if permitted under applicable law or regulation, should
be referred to the appropriate General Counsel.
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 15
III. COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT
We may require certification, from time to time, from some or
all of our employees regarding their compliance with this Code
of Conduct, including their compliance with respect to
disclosure requirements set forth in Section II.B above for
conflicts of interest. We rely on the accuracy and completeness
of these certifications. If you are asked to provide a
certification, please make sure to complete the form carefully
and sign and return it promptly.
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B.
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Reporting Violations of this Code of Conduct
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1.
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Reporting known or suspected violations of this Code of
Conduct or any legal or ethical obligations is the
responsibility of every employee
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If you suspect or believe that another employee (including
part-time and temporary employees), consultant or contract
worker, or one of our business units is violating the law or our
policies or is engaging in activities on our behalf that
otherwise could damage our reputation, you must report this to
the Compliance Officer, to the appropriate General Counsel or
Chief Financial Officer or to one of the senior officers in our
Human Resources Department. In addition, you are encouraged to
raise any other issues or concerns you may have relating to
compliance matters and ethical business practices, whether or
not specifically addressed in our formal policies.
Do not
assume that senior management already knows or that
someone else will make the report.
Your supervisor or your
Human Resources manager can help you make the report.
All reports shall be treated confidentially to the extent
possible consistent with fair and rigorous enforcement of this
Code of Conduct. We understand that you may find it difficult to
report suspected violations by those you work with; however, we
must take steps to prevent and detect criminal or unethical
conduct in order to avoid jeopardizing the welfare of the
Companies and all of their employees, customers, and investors.
Please note that you should not conduct your own investigation
of any suspected violation without the prior authorization by
the appropriate General Counsel. Instead, immediately report
your suspicions to the Compliance Officer, the appropriate
General Counsel or Chief Financial Officer or one of the senior
officers in our Human Resources Department. Any reports that
relate to accounting, auditing, internal auditing, financial
reporting, disclosure practices, or securities law matters will
be presented to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of
Emdeon and/or WebMD, as applicable.
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2.
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You may make reports anonymously if you choose to do
so
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We have retained an independent company to provide an Ethics and
Compliance Hotline that allows you to make reports anonymously
by telephone. A brochure containing the toll-free number and
instructions has been distributed to our employees and the
information is posted in our offices. You do not need to give
your name to use the Hotline. The Hotline provider will forward
reports made to it to the Compliance Officer. You may also make
anonymous reports by writing to the Compliance Officer at the
address provided below. Any reports made to the Compliance
Officer or through the Hotline that relate to accounting,
auditing, internal auditing, financial reporting, disclosure
practices, or securities law matters will be presented to the
Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Emdeon and/or
WebMD, as applicable.
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3.
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Non-Retaliation Policy
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Our commitment to conducting business in accordance with legal
and ethical obligations requires an environment that allows
employees to report known or suspected violations without
Page 16 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT
fear of retaliation or retribution. No employee should be
discouraged from using any available channel to raise his or her
concerns. It is our intent to foster an environment where
employees will choose whichever method they are most comfortable
with to communicate their concerns.
NON-RETALIATION POLICY
We are committed to providing a workplace conducive to open
discussion of our business practices. It is our policy to
protect employees who make reports, in good faith, of potential
violations of our Code of Business Conduct, the policies in our
Employee Handbook, other company policies or applicable law. In
addition, it is our policy to comply with all applicable laws
that protect employees against unlawful discrimination or
retaliation by their employer as a result of their lawfully
reporting information regarding corporate fraud or other
violations of law by any of the Companies or their employees.
Any employee who retaliates against another employee for
reporting problems will be subject to disciplinary action, which
may include termination of employment.
If an employee
believes that he or she has been subjected to any action that
violates this Non-Retaliation Policy, he or she should report
that to the Compliance Officer, the appropriate General Counsel
or Chief Financial Officer or the Human Resources Department.
This Non-Retaliation Policy applies even if an allegation that
was made in good faith ultimately turns out to be groundless.
However, employees who file reports or provide evidence that
they know to be false or without a good faith belief in the
truth of such information will not be protected by this
Non-Retaliation Policy and may be subject to disciplinary
action, including termination of their employment.
The Audit Committees of the Boards of Directors of the Companies
have appointed a Compliance Officer to assist in the
implementation of this Code of Conduct. The current Compliance
Officer is Lewis Leicher, an Assistant General Counsel. He can
be reached at 858-759-6008. You may also reach him at
lleicher@emdeon.com
or by writing to: Emdeon Corporation,
16092 San Dieguito Road, P.O. Box 676306, Rancho
Santa Fe, CA 92067-6306.
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D.
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Amendments, Waivers and Interpretations
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While many of the policies set forth in this Code of Conduct
must be strictly adhered to and no exceptions allowed, in other
cases, some waivers or exceptions may be possible. For example,
a minor conflict of interest can sometimes be resolved simply by
disclosing the possible conflict to all interested parties and
making sure the person with the conflict is not involved in
decision-making in areas of conflict.
Any employee who believes that an exception to any of these
policies is appropriate in his or her case should contact his or
her immediate supervisor first. If the immediate supervisor
agrees that an exception is appropriate, you should contact the
Compliance Officer, who will coordinate seeking the approval of
the General Counsel of Emdeon (after consultation with the
General Counsel of WebMD) or, in the case of an executive
officer or a Senior Financial Officer, the approval of the Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors of Emdeon and/or WebMD, as
applicable.
The General Counsel of Emdeon (after consulting with the General
Counsel of WebMD) is responsible for interpreting and applying
this Code of Conduct to specific situations in which questions
may arise and granting any waivers, except with respect to
interpretations, applications and waivers involving executive
officers, Senior Financial Officers or directors of either
Emdeon or WebMD, for which the applicable Board of Directors
(Emdeon or WebMD) or, to the extent permitted by law or the
listing standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market, the applicable
Audit Committee or another duly authorized committee of the
applicable Board of
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT PAGE 17
Directors shall be responsible. To the extent required by law or
the listing standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market, any such
waivers for Senior Financial Officers, executive officers or
directors of either Emdeon or WebMD shall be disclosed publicly.
This Code of Conduct may be amended by joint action of the
Boards of Directors of WebMD and Emdeon, by joint action of the
Audit Committees of WebMD and Emdeon or by joint action by other
duly authorized committees of the Boards of Directors of each of
Emdeon and WebMD. To the extent required by law or the listing
standards of The NASDAQ Stock Market, any such amendments shall
be disclosed publicly.
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E.
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Investigation of Suspected Violations
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The Companies policy allows the use of any lawful method
of investigation that the Companies deem necessary to determine
whether a person has violated applicable law, this Code of
Conduct or other policies of the Companies or has otherwise
engaged in conduct that interferes or adversely affects their
business. All employees are expected to cooperate in the
investigation of any such alleged violation. It is imperative,
however, that even a preliminary investigation of any suspected
violation NOT be conducted without consulting with the
Compliance Officer or seeking the assistance and guidance of the
appropriate General Counsel. Following the completion of the
investigation, appropriate members of senior management will
determine appropriate action.
Violations of this Code of Conduct will result in disciplinary
action, which may include termination, reprimands, warnings,
suspensions with or without pay, demotions, or salary
reductions. Violators may also be subject to civil or criminal
prosecution. Disciplinary actions may also extend to a
violators manager if we determine that the violation
involved the participation of the manager or resulted from the
managers lack of diligence in enforcing compliance with
this Code of Conduct.
We will document disciplinary actions taken against our
personnel for violations of this Code of Conduct. Such
documentation will be included in the individuals
personnel files. In reviewing the appropriate disciplinary
action imposed for a violation of this Code of Conduct, senior
management shall take into account the following factors:
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the nature of the violation and the ramifications of the
violation to the Companies,
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whether the individual was directly or indirectly involved in
the violation,
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whether the violation was willful or unintentional,
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whether the violation represented an isolated occurrence or a
pattern of conduct,
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whether the individual in question reported the violation,
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whether the individual withheld relevant or material information
concerning the violation,
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the degree to which the individual cooperated with the
investigation,
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if the violation consisted of the failure to supervise another
individual who violated this Code of Conduct, the extent to
which the circumstances reflect inadequate supervision or lack
of due diligence,
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if the violation consisted of retaliation against another
individual for reporting a violation or cooperating with an
investigation, the nature of such retaliation, and
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the individuals past violations, if any.
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Page 18 CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT