Blue Shield of California Teams Up with Zocdoc to Simplify Appointment Scheduling Experience for Members

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New scheduling feature embedded in Blue Shield's "Find a doctor" tool helps members quickly access in-network care; more than 1 million hours of appointments available for online scheduling

OAKLAND, Calif., June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California today announced a new collaboration with Zocdoc, America's leading healthcare booking platform, to allow members to seamlessly schedule in-network, in-person and virtual care appointments directly on the nonprofit health plan's online member portal.

Blue Shield members can now see real-time availability of providers and easily access more than 1 million hours of bookable appointments available over a 90-day window. Available through the plan's Find a doctor tool, this integration is Blue Shield's latest effort to create high-quality, seamless experiences for members.

This marks the first time Zocdoc is working with a health plan to power scheduling for its online portal. The feature enables appointment booking from a single sign-on, available 24/7 for members seeking care from Blue Shield's network of primary care, specialist, vision, dental, mental and behavioral health providers who are active in Zocdoc.

"As we continue to address healthcare access issues, making it easier and faster for our members to get connected to in-network care is absolutely essential," said Jigar Shah, chief marketing and strategy officer at Blue Shield of California. "To make health care worthy of our family and friends, we must deliver best-in-class member experiences, and Blue Shield is leveraging digital tools to do exactly that. We are proud to work with Zocdoc on an important part of our strategy to improve access to care."

Across all types of care, outdated scheduling systems have become a barrier to healthcare access. According to a Zocdoc-commissioned survey conducted earlier this year, more than half of patients who were unable to reach their doctor by phone admitted to delaying care (54%), while one in three admitted to giving up on scheduling a visit entirely (33%).

Digital tools can help address these barriers. According to a 2021 Press Ganey report, online scheduling for care appointments is preferred by 72% of Millennial and Gen Z survey respondents and 39% of Baby Boomers. Additionally, a 2023 report from Kyruus Health shows that 61% of consumers say the availability of online appointment scheduling is extremely or very important when choosing a new provider, service, or location for care.

"We know that patients rely on their health plans to find quality, in-network care, and we are proud to partner with Blue Shield of California to power a seamless experience that helps their members access the right providers for their needs," said Oliver Kharraz, MD, Zocdoc founder and CEO. "This collaboration—a first of its kind for Zocdoc—is symbolic of our expansion beyond our marketplace; we are leveraging nearly 20 years of scheduling expertise to help patients easily book appointments wherever they are seeking care, to help providers connect with patients across more channels, and to help payors modernize their members' access experience and care coordination."

Blue Shield's Find a doctor tool will help connect patients to care when they need it most, including simple access to mental and behavioral health appointments. Today, thousands of mental and behavioral healthcare practitioners are available to book through this collaboration. This is a critical resource for members looking to avoid an inefficient scheduling experience for counseling or other mental health support services.

Appointments are now available for members across all Blue Shield of California employer-sponsored plans, Individual and Family Plans, and Medicare plans. Blue Shield and Zocdoc will continue to add more in-network provider schedules for members to book quickly and seamlessly.

Blue Shield's in-network providers who are interested in adding appointments to the system can visit this web page for more information. There is no cost to providers to participate and set-up is a simple, one-time activation. Zocdoc has built more than 175 calendar integrations with commonly used healthcare scheduling tools.

About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a taxpaying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $27 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.  Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook.

About Zocdoc
Zocdoc is the leading healthcare marketplace that aims to help every patient find and book every type of care. Each month, millions of patients visit Zocdoc.com or use the Zocdoc app to find quality, in-network doctors, see their real-time availability, and instantly book appointments for in-person or virtual care. Zocdoc doesn't just make healthcare easier, it also accelerates patients' access to care with the typical appointment happening within 24 to 72 hours of booking.

While Zocdoc's mission is to give power to the patient, the company supports healthcare providers, too. Doctors across every state, specialty and segment —  from solo practitioners to large hospitals and health systems — rely on Zocdoc to grow their practice, at every stage. With Zocdoc, they can reach new patients where they're seeking care, save staff time with tools that integrate into their practice software, and delight their patients through great experiences that keep them coming back. Overall, Zocdoc delivers the seamless, modern healthcare experience patients deserve.

SOURCE Blue Shield of California