Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Providers
January 31, 2019 12:00 AM

Zocdoc to begin charging N.Y. doctors per booking

Jonathan Lamantia
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Getty Images

    Zocdoc said Tuesday it will begin charging doctors throughout New York state for each new patient who books an appointment using its service instead of a monthly fee, effective April 1.

    The company said the move was needed to make the service more attractive to doctors with fewer patients, who were dissuaded from signing up by the $300 per month, or $3,000 a year, fee per physician. Existing patient bookings won't trigger a charge.

    "The flat fee has limited our ability to sign up providers in rural and suburban markets," said Oliver Kharraz, Zocdoc's CEO. "That's what we're seeking to change"

    Zocdoc has become an increasing presence in providers' practices. The company says that 1 in 5 new patient–doctor relationships in New York is formed through Zocdoc.

    The new per-booking charge will vary by specialty, from $35 to $110, with primary-care doctors on the low end of the spectrum, and dentists at the highest tier, Kharraz said. That pricing reflects a third-party evaluation of the fair-market value of Zocdoc's services. The fee will remain the same regardless of whether a patient attends the appointment or what services are provided during the visit. Providers also must pay an annual licensing fee, which will be lower than the current rate.

    Zocdoc expects the change to affect practices differently, with about half paying the same or less to use the service and half paying more.

    "I don't want to gloss over the fact that the price will go up for some providers. These doctors had a phenomenal deal," Kharraz said. "We want a model that fairly represents the number of bookings each doctor is getting."

    Physicians can cap their spending and set a limit on how many bookings they receive through the site, at which point new patients won't be able to find them through search or schedule appointments. Existing patients could still find them and book on Zocdoc.

    Doctors will be able to retain the existing pricing model until their current contract expires.

    The company previously rolled out the change in Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Washington. It said that participation in Georgia has increased more than 80% since it started charging per booking there in April.

    Zocdoc had planned to implement the change in New York in October but tabled it to solicit feedback from physicians after the Medical Society of the State of New York said some of its members were concerned.

    The company said it worked with the state Department of Health and Office of Professional Misconduct to ensure the change does not violate state rules that prohibit doctors from paying for referrals or splitting fees among providers.

    But federal regulations present a greater challenge. The company said there is a "lack of clarity" around the federal anti-kickback law whether the new pricing model would be permitted. To avoid running afoul of the law, the company has disabled its search and appointment-booking tool for patients who identify as Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries while it awaits guidance from the federal government.

    That move seems counter to the company's goal of increasing access to health care. It reduces the usefulness of Zocdoc for the 38% of New Yorkers who rely on those government programs for insurance.

    "It's certainly not a long-term solution," Kharraz said of disabling features for Medicare and Medicaid patients. "We will continue to be an advocate for change here."

    "Zocdoc to begin charging NY doctors per booking" was originally published in Crain's New York.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    20160830_Mike_Pykosz_mm0146(1).jpg
    Q&A: Oak Street Health CEO on growth plans after CVS Health deal
    Rapid growth predicted for hospital-at-home market
    Rapid growth predicted for hospital-at-home market
    Most Popular
    1
    More healthcare organizations at risk of credit default, Moody's says
    2
    Centene fills out senior executive team with new president, COO
    3
    SCAN, CareOregon plan to merge into the HealthRight Group
    4
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unveils big push that lets physicians take on risk, reap rewards
    5
    Bright Health weighs reverse stock split as delisting looms
    Sponsored Content
    Modern Healthcare A.M. Newsletter: Sign up to receive a comprehensive weekday morning newsletter designed for busy healthcare executives who need the latest and most important healthcare news and analysis.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing