Newly Insured ACA Patients Can Now Use ZocDoc's Free Service to Book In-Network Appointments Online

NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ZocDoc announced today that newly insured patients can now use its free online service to instantly book doctor appointments covered under more than 300 health insurance plans offered on the state marketplaces. Additionally, more than two-thirds of ZocDoc physicians accept at least one of these insurance plans. With a mission of improving patients' access to care, ZocDoc added these plans to its online booking platform to help patients who purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) find and secure the care they expect to receive.

Nearly five million patients each month use ZocDoc.com or the free ZocDoc app to find in-network doctors, read verified reviews, and instantly book appointments online. Not only does ZocDoc's free service make the appointment booking process much easier, it also makes it much faster despite a growing US doctor shortage. While the average national wait time to see a doctor is nearly three weeks, the majority of ZocDoc appointments take place within 24 - 72 hours. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, there will be a shortage of 125,000 primary care doctors in the United States by 2025. Further compounding this shortage, the ACA will add millions of patients but no new doctors to the healthcare system, potentially creating an even bigger barrier to patient access. A technology solution like ZocDoc not only makes the marketplace for healthcare more efficient by optimizing doctors' schedules, but it also improves patients' experience by seamlessly facilitating access to physicians.

"Patients often delay or avoid securing care because the process can be such a pain, but ZocDoc removes all of the friction from making an appointment," said ZocDoc founder and CEO Cyrus Massoumi. "In adding these health insurance plans to our platform, ZocDoc is in a position to support new ACA patients as their plans go live and they begin to seek out medical care."

"Demand for care is on the rise, and we need to ensure that supply can meet it," said ZocDoc founder and COO Dr. Oliver Kharraz. "By uncovering the hidden supply of care and connecting patients with doctors who can see them quickly, we make the healthcare ecosystem more efficient and help tackle this growing demand."

The breadth of care available via ZocDoc has grown tremendously since the company's inception in 2007. Today, patients can use ZocDoc to quickly secure appointments with primary care physicians and internists, as well as with more than 40 different types of specialists. Additionally, patients have booked more than 1,000 different types of procedures on ZocDoc to date – everything from annual physicals to acne treatments, from marriage counseling to migraine consultations and more.

Today, ZocDoc is available in nearly 2,000 cities and towns, and the service covers 40 percent of the US population. ZocDoc will continue to add more marketplaces' health insurance plans to its platform over the coming year and will also continue to rapidly expand its geographic footprint across the country.

About ZocDoc
Nearly five million patients use ZocDoc each month to find a nearby doctor or dentist and instantly book an appointment online. By revealing the 'hidden supply' of appointments, ZocDoc helps patients receive faster access to care and optimizes doctors' schedules. With ZocDoc Check-In, patients can fill out their paperwork online prior to their appointment, and physicians receive more complete and accurate patient information. ZocDoc has raised $95 million in investments to date, is currently available in nearly 2,000 cities, and covers 40 percent of the US population. This service is free for patients via ZocDoc.com or the free ZocDoc app for iPhone and Android. A Spanish-language version called ZocDoc en Espanol is also available (espanol.zocdoc.com; iPhone and Android).

Media contact: Jessica Aptman, 1-212-715-8647

SOURCE ZocDoc