Esway....[saw this earlier & was reminded of your great call,
but i see you're already there, of course....~g~]
WebMD to promote CVS online in 5-year deal
By Reuters
Special to CNET News.com
January 10, 2000, 4:30 a.m. PT
NEW YORK--CVS and Healtheon/WebMD are expected today to announce a wide-ranging, five-year agreement under which CVS' online pharmacy will be the only drugstore promoted on WebMD's Web site, according to reports.
Consumers visiting WebMD will be able to buy prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal and beauty products from CVS.com, CVS' online unit, the paper said. Similarly, visitors to CVS.com will have access to WebMD's health information, chat rooms and other offerings.
The companies also will develop new products and services aimed at creating a seamless system for processing prescriptions electronically, and will create a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to promote their alliance, the Journal said. Additional financial terms were not disclosed.
Healtheon/WebMD, a fast-growing provider of information and services to doctors and consumers over the Internet, will receive a percentage of all of CVS' online sales of over-the-counter products. Jeffrey Arnold, Healtheon/WebMd's chief executive, told the paper that 72 million customers visit CVS stores each year and that its online offerings are "sophisticated."
The agreement also offers significant transaction fees for Atlanta-based Healtheon/WebMD, which is attempting to link the health-care system's myriad components over the Internet. The agreement calls for CVS over the next six months to turn over to Healtheon/WebMD's network roughly 50 million transactions, such as insurance verifications, that are now processed by outside companies.
Healtheon/WebMD also benefits from promotions in CVS stores, the paper said. The WebMD logo will appear on in-store signs and banners, as well as on CVS advertising circulars and shopping bags.
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