Is Zocdoc planning to change the way they bill dentists?

I just heard it through the grapevine. According to a collegue of mine they are currently planning to change the way they bill dentists for their service. Now most dentists are paying a yearly fee of $3000 per year. This can seem like a lot or a little depending upon how many new patients book appointments for a particular dentist using ZocDoc.


Since my practice is mostly fee for service, I don't get alot of booked new patients who find me through Zocdoc. Probably about one patient per month. My colleague, who take a lot of different insurances, gets considerably more patients booking using this application, probably closer to at least twenty each month.

She called me up on Monday and was fairly upset, since she was informed about a proposed change in the way Zocdoc bills. Starting in October ZocDoc would like to bill dentists $110 for each new patient booking through Zocdoc. For my friend it would no result in a fee of $2200/month. Initially, I too, was horrified, but after another friend pointed out that I would save a considerable amount of money, I calmed down. Zocdoc will still charge a fee of $290 per year as well, but if my trend continues, my costs per year would be as low as $1390 per year instead the $3000 I am currently paying.

I called up and spoke to a very nice representative and she explained that there probably won't be a charge for existing patients booking through Zocdoc nor for patients booking with the Zocdoc button on my website either ( that sounds good!).

Being an ever cynical New Yorker, I can forsee some problems. What about "phantom" booked appointments? We currently get a fair number of patients that book in advance and then cancel shortly before their appointment. To add insult to injury, they often don't rebook. Will dentists get charged for these? What about the possibility that some "spiteful" person may convince  friends to book and then cancel appointments?

There is still another potential problem. In New York State the board of dentistry doesn't allow for fee splitting arrangements. This means that dentists are not allowed to pay someone for referrals. Does ZocDocs new billing arrangement constitute fee splitting, or is it just a "booking service fee",  as they may maintain. Only time (and a possible legal challenge ) will  tell.

from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2018/07/is-zocdoc-planning-to-change-way-they.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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