In a Nutshell
pros
- Absolutely free for patients
- Access to 50+ medical specializations
- 24/7 customer service
cons
- Avaliablility of specialists depends on location
- Avaliability of in-network doctors not guaranteed
Zocdoc at a Glance
- How Can I Get Treatment: Create an account or log in using your existing Google, Facebook, or Apple Account. Then find a local doctor who fits your needs and click Book Appointment to book your appointment online.
- Urgent Care Fee: None from Zocdoc, urgent care doctor may charge a fee
- Accepted Insurance: Varies by doctor
- Medications Prescribed: Varies by doctor
- Hours of Operation: Varies by doctor, though Zocdoc’s online booking system works 24/7
- Follow-Up Consultations: Yes, either directly with your doctor, or through Zocdoc
How Does Zocdoc Work?
Getting started with Zocdoc is pretty straightforward. You need to sign up with an email address or use your existing login from Google, Facebook, or Apple. Once you've created an account, you can search for a doctor in your local area by navigating to Zocdoc's website in-browser or using their mobile app for iOS or Android devices. You can search by the doctor's name, the name of the procedure, or by the name of your medical condition.
You can narrow your search to your local area by city, state, or zip code and further filter results by adding your insurance carrier and plan name. This ensures that you will only see results from local doctors that can accept your health insurance.
Zocdoc gives you a lot of information about each doctor, including their education, background, and verified reviews from other patients. Take the time to read through this information and choose a doctor that fits your needs.
If you search by insurance plan, you will see a caption under each doctor's photo that says In Network or Out of Network. If a doctor shows up as Out of Network, they cannot accept your health insurance.
Once you have made your choice, click Book Appointment and select an available date and time. You will also need to fill in a reason for your visit—you don't have to know the exact medical terms, just describe the reason for the appointment to the best of your ability. If you have any trouble with the online booking process, call Zocdoc's support team anytime at (855) 962-3621.
After a successful booking, you will receive a confirmation email containing the doctor's phone number and email address. You can cancel or reschedule an existing appointment from the main page of your Zocdoc account or through a link in the confirmation email. Once you have an appointment booked, you can reschedule it or cancel it at any time directly from your Zocdoc account.
The entire process, from the initial search to booking an appointment, takes the typical user about 24 hours according to Zocdoc, although factors like location, doctor specialization, and the nature of the specific treatment can affect this time period.
Some doctors participate in a special service called Zocdoc check-in. This is a secure, confidential medical check-in that lets you fill out any pre-appointment medical forms in the comfort of your home and submit them electronically. Not every doctor participates in Zocdoc check-in, and even for doctors that offer this option, it is not mandatory—you can always choose to fill out the forms by hand in person.
Although Zocdoc technically operates across the entire United States, your odds of finding a specialist will vary widely depending on the availability of local doctors and how many of those doctors are Zocdoc subscribers. That said, the service is free and convenient, so there is no risk in giving it a try.
What Does Zocdoc Treat?
Zocdoc gives you access to a range of professionals, from family physicians to specialists like dentists, oncologists, or pediatricians. Here is a partial list of the specialities Zocdoc offers:
- Allergist
- Audiologist
- Cardiologist
- Chiropractor
- Dentist
- Dermatologist
- Dietician
- Ear, Nose & Throat Doctor
- Eye Doctor
- Gastroenterologist
- Nutritionist
- OB-GYN
- Orthodontist
- Pediatrician
- Physical Therapist
- Psychologist
You cannot order medication or prescriptions directly from Zocdoc. Instead, you can get these prescriptions from your doctor after your appointment. To begin, search Zocdoc’s database by typing the specialty you are looking for into the search bar or by choosing one from Zocdoc’s specialities page. Zocdoc is pretty comprehensive, with doctors and procedures available for most medical conditions. The availability of prescription drugs, procedures, and specialists will vary by doctor.
How Much Does Zocdoc Cost?
Zocdoc is entirely free for patients. After creating an account, you will have full access to its doctor database, help center, and booking system. Costs for specific medical procedures will vary by doctor and by insurance provider.
Does Zocdoc Take Insurance?
Payments for your medical procedures go to your specific doctor, not to Zocdoc. Whether your doctor will accept your insurance will depend on whether or not they are in your insurance provider’s network. You can add your insurance information to your search in order to filter the Zocdoc database for only doctors that are in your network.
What Do People Say About Zocdoc?
Zocdoc scores well on customer reviews, with a 3.9/5 rating on TrustPilot from over 1,700 responses. The few reported issues were usually related to actions by the doctor, like canceling their appointment on short notice. Zocdoc was highly responsive to these issues, addressing every negative review and promising a follow-up with the specified doctors.
Since most of Zocdoc’s reviews are positive, and the few negative ones relate to bad experiences with specific doctors, it seems that customers receive a satisfactory experience from Zocdoc most of the time.
Zocdoc FAQs
Does Zocdoc prescribe medicine?
Zocdoc does not prescribe medicine—it is simply an online portal that lets you book doctors’ appointments. Whether or not a doctor can prescribe specific medication will depend on their area of expertise. Fortunately, Zocdoc has doctors from over 50 different specialties, so your chances of finding someone who can offer the prescription you need are pretty high.
Do I need a subscription for Zocdoc?
As a patient, you do not need to pay for a subscription to use Zocdoc. Simply create an account with an email and password, and browse Zocdoc’s database free of charge. Medical professionals looking to list their practice on Zocdoc need to purchase a subscription, and Zocdoc does not list its pricing publicly. Consult Zocdoc’s Provider Page to learn more.
What hours does Zocdoc have appointments available?
Since it is just a booking portal, Zocdoc does not guarantee hours of availability for its physicians. The hours a specific doctor on Zocdoc is available will depend on that doctor’s schedule. Zocdoc does offer 24/7 customer service, and you can use the portal at any time to book an appointment.
Bottom Line
Zocdoc is a free online tool that can help you find a local doctor and book an appointment with them. You can filter by over 50 medical specializations, search by a medical condition, and refine your search by geographical area and insurance network. It is safe and confidential, with fully online booking and 24/7 customer service, so there is no reason not to try it next time you are booking a doctor's appointment.
