How to navigate YHP
Here are some tips for using YHP:
Choose a Primary Care Clinician
- Establishing a relationship with a Primary Care Clinician (PCC) is the most effective way of using YHP services.
- Get to know your Primary Care Clinician (PCC) and their nurse coordinator.
- YHP uses a team approach - teams consist of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician associates, registered nurses and medical assistants - a member of the team will always be available to care for you, even if your personal clinician is away.
*Note: Women should also choose a clinician from the OB/GYN Department for routine gynecological care. A clinician in Pediatrics should be selected for dependent children.
Scheduling appointments
- Plan ahead whenever possible and use Yale Health Online to request appointments.
- Do not wait until the last minute for general physicals, camp physicals, back-to-school exams and sports physicals.
- Follow our Preventive Guidelines to determine when you need to have exams, screenings and immunizations.
- Arrive for your visit on time.
- Call if you cannot keep your scheduled appointment time so another member may use the slot.
- Visit the department's page for details on scheduling appointments with them.
*Note: Mondays and Fridays tend to be the busiest days. The best times for routine visits are mid-week.
During appointments
- Come prepared - bring your list of concerns so that they can be addressed during your visit and a list of all your medications (prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines).
- Find out how you will be informed about test results, and when you might expect to receive them.
- Ask how soon you should make a return visit.
Busy times—be aware of the Yale calendar
- Campus events and major holidays can affect access.
- An influx of visitors and traffic at the beginning of the academic year as well as during Commencement weekend may cause delays in traveling to appointments.
- Holiday weekends are often preceded by increased demand for prescriptions.
- Many students and faculty leave for the summer and schedule last minute appointments prior to departure.
Use Yale Health Online
Click here to log in or sign up.
- Request appointments.
- Update some of your personal information.
- Send secure messages to participating Yale Health Plan clinicians.
- View certain parts of your medical history.
Our Pharmacy
Click here for the Pharmacy page.
- Open six days a week (closed on Sundays and major holidays).
- Call ahead for refills. Our automated prescription refill service at 203-432-0033 will guide you through the simple refill process.
- Process time for routine refills is 24 hours; a bit longer is needed for refilling special orders and those requiring verification.
- Visit the pharmacy during less busy hours - early morning and midafternoon. The busiest times are during lunch hours, after work and just before and after holidays.
- Prescriptions not picked up after 10 days are returned to stock and you will need to wait for them to be filled again.
- YHP prescription coverage includes medications from other pharmacies; however, you must pay the full cost "up front" and submit a claim for reimbursement.
Referrals
- No referral is needed to use our primary care (Internal Medicine, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Urgent Care and Student Medicine) departments.
- You do need a referral from your clinician to specialty departments within YHP.
- You might also be referred "outside" of YHP to one of our network specialists/approved facilities for office visits, treatments and tests.
- If you are referred "outside", your referral must be approved in advance (this is called "prior authorization"); your clinician or an YHP staff member will advise you about this.
- Outside referrals specify a number of approved visits. You will need to obtain another referral for additional visits.
Where should you go for care?
- Call your clinician during the business day or YHP Urgent Care any time of day or night.
- You can also obtain clinical advice by calling 203-432-0123 or 877-YHP-CARE (877-947-2273) if you are away from the area and have an urgent problem.
