Zocdoc, which provides quick access to a person’s local in-network provider, has teamed up with maternal healthcare startup Zaya Care to provide insurance-covered pregnancy and postpartum care for patients in New Jersey and New York, the companies announced Wednesday.

New York City-based Zocdoc allows patients to search for in-network providers near them and book appointments online for in-person or virtual care. Zaya Care, also based in New York City, provides a network of maternal health providers, including OBGYNs, lactation consultants, pelvic floor therapists, mental health therapists, acupuncturists and dietitians. Patients can take appointments in person or online. The company accepts insurance from Aetna, Centivo, Emblem Health, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, Oscar, Oxford Freedom and UnitedHealthcare.

“We’re looking to expand what is covered by insurance in terms of maternity care,” said Leoni Runge, Zaya Care founder and CEO, in an interview. “How we do that is by working together with all the providers. It’s a very fragmented market. All these specialists come into play during pregnancy and postpartum. We take a bit of inspiration from the European care model and other countries in Asia as well, which have designed it in a way that the OBGYN is supported by a suite of providers.” 

Through the partnership, patients can find and book virtual or in-person appointments with Zaya’s providers via Zocdoc’s website or app. The partnership represents the first time Zocdoc will have lactation consultants available on its marketplace, said Dr. Oliver Kharraz, Zocdoc founder and CEO. 

“Going back to my own twins when they were born, one of them didn’t latch on. It would have been great to actually have been able to find a lactation consultant easily. … Making it really easy to access the care you need is our goal. I think this is an important step in this direction for a crucial part of every parent’s life,” he said.

Oftentimes, providers like lactation experts don’t accept insurance.

“Basically these types of providers today are mainly cash pay and are not really accessible, yet they’re really critical during that pregnancy and postpartum phase. We help them take insurance and thereby help expecting parents access them,” Runge said.

About 40% of women aren’t able to access the postpartum care they need, typically because of issues with cost or coverage. Zaya Care is working to change that, she said.

Providers from Zaya Care who join Zocdoc’s marketplace pay the company a fee for each new patient booking they receive via Zocdoc just as any other provider does. Kharraz declined to say what that fee is.

“Zocdoc comes in with delivering an unprecedented level of exposure so that people can actually discover and find these types of providers,” Runge stated.

Other companies that provide maternity and postpartum care services include Maven Clinic and Ovia Health, though these companies also target employers, unlike Zaya Care.

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