Letter from our founder & CEO about Zocdoc’s new pricing model

Originally published January 29, 2019

Zocdoc is updating its pricing on a state-by-state basis, with changes in New York taking effect starting April 1, 2019. Below, please see the letter Zocdoc founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz, M.D. sent to all participating providers in New York, to share news of this change and provide more context. You can learn more about Zocdoc’s New York pricing change here.

To Zocdoc providers in New York:

For the first time since 2012, Zocdoc will update its pricing for all providers in New York starting this spring. Our team will be in touch shortly with detailed information, but I first want to share some context behind this decision.

When we founded Zocdoc in 2007, we chose New York both as our headquarters and our first market to launch. I personally visited hundreds of doctors’ offices across the city. I wore out the soles of multiple pairs of shoes going door to door, sharing our vision for a platform that would deliver a digital, instantly accessible healthcare experience for patients. To those of you who took an early chance on Zocdoc and everyone who has joined us since, thank you for helping make that vision a reality.

Over a decade later, I am proud of what we have built here together. In New York today, we estimate that one in five new patient-doctor relationships is established through Zocdoc. That’s because thousands of providers — across independent practices and leading health systems alike — participate in Zocdoc’s Marketplace. Together, we’ve helped millions of New Yorkers access care.

However, as we have grown, we have realized that our flat subscription fee is a financial barrier that excludes too many providers from participating in Zocdoc. Importantly, it also limits patients seeking care from finding providers.

On Zocdoc, the total number of patient bookings a provider receives varies widely, but a flat subscription fee does not account for that. Providers who receive a greater volume of bookings from our Marketplace have benefited the most from this flat fee structure. However, it has been a less sensible economic decision for the many providers who received fewer bookings via our Marketplace — particularly those in less densely populated rural and suburban markets or sub-specialized areas of medicine. The flat fee has limited our ability to sign up providers across these areas, which has hindered the development of a robust Marketplace for patients seeking care.

To lower the barrier to entry for more providers, Zocdoc’s new pricing model will shift from a flat subscription fee to one that charges a provider a flat fee for each new patient booking that the provider receives. We estimate that half of our current participating providers in New York will pay the same or less under this new pricing model.

We have already implemented this new pricing model in five states, and the results have exceeded our expectations. In our first state, we have grown overall provider participation on Zocdoc by more than 80 percent, dramatically improving patients’ choice and access to care.

These changes will take effect in New York starting on April 1, but you can remain on your current plan until your existing contract is up for renewal. You are also welcome to opt in to this new pricing starting on April 1, if you so choose. The team here at Zocdoc will email you shortly to share personalized details for transitioning your account to this new pricing.

I recognize this is an important change for the patients and providers we serve, and I am confident that our new pricing model will benefit more providers and ultimately improve choice and access to care for patients across New York state.

Thank you again for being part of our platform. Together, we’re helping New Yorkers have the healthcare experience they expect and deserve.

Best,

Oliver Kharraz, M.D.
Zocdoc founder & CEO