Our Patient Policies
Last updated: November 3, 2026
We want every visit to be worth your time. These policies explain what we ask of you, and why, so we can give you, and every patient, the care and attention you deserve. This page is a summary. The Office & Financial Policy you sign at your visit is the full version, and we may update our policies from time to time.
On this page: Appointments 路 Lab work 路 Forms and letters 路 How to reach us 路 Payments 路 Insurance 路 Refills 路 Arriving 路 Telehealth 路 Respect 路 Good Faith Estimate
Appointments and cancellations
When you book a visit, that time is set aside for you alone. Before you arrive, our team reviews your chart, your history and your recent results so your provider is ready for you. If a visit is missed, that preparation is lost and the time usually can't be offered to another patient on short notice, even though other patients are often waiting for an opening.
That's why we ask for at least one full business day's notice to cancel or reschedule. Late cancellations and missed visits may be subject to a fee, as described in the Office & Financial Policy you sign. If you're feeling unwell, please text or message us before your visit; a telehealth visit may be an option.
Lab work before your visit
We ask that you complete any ordered lab work about a week before your visit. That way your provider can review your results ahead of time, and your visit is spent on what the results mean and what comes next, not waiting for them.
If your labs aren't done in time, we'll still see you. Your provider will review the results when they arrive and discuss them at your next visit. If anything needs attention sooner, our clinical team will contact you.
Forms and letters you request
Forms and letters are paperwork you ask us to complete for someone else: work or school notes, disability and FMLA forms, letters for an employer or insurer, and similar requests. A form can look like it needs only a minute and a quick signature. But a signature is a medical statement about your health, so every answer has to be checked against your chart.
The best time to complete a form is during your visit. Your chart is open, your provider is focused on you, and your history is fresh in mind, so decisions are quick and accurate. A "quick" signature between visits works differently. Your provider has to step away from the patient in front of them, switch gears, reopen and re-read your chart, decide, then switch back. Each switch costs time and focus, for you and for the patient who is waiting, and that is when details can get missed.
So please bring forms and letters to your visit, so they can be completed as part of your care. Requests made outside a visit carry a fee, as described in the Office & Financial Policy, or they can wait until your next visit, which is usually the better choice. If you need a signature that doesn't depend on your medical history, another office or a walk-in clinic may be able to help you faster.
How to reach us: text and the Patient Portal
Our online tools help you skip paperwork at the front desk, shorten your wait, and get answers without phone tag. Patients who check in, complete forms and pay online through the Patient Portal usually move through our office much faster. Using them also lets our team spend more of their time on patient care.
If technology isn't comfortable for you, that's okay. A family member or someone you trust can help you, and with your written permission they can be given their own access to help manage your care. Ask our front desk how.
Text or Portal message first, phone last. Our team is set up to answer texts and Portal messages, so they are the fastest way to reach us. Phone lines are much harder to staff, and calls often end in phone tag. Please send one message per topic, in one place. There's no need to also call or message us somewhere else; duplicates slow everyone down. If you do call, leave one detailed voicemail (your name, date of birth, what you need, and the best way to reach you), and we'll get back to you.
The Patient Portal and text messages are for non-urgent needs. Messages are typically answered within two business days. For a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For an urgent problem that isn't an emergency, an urgent care center is often faster.
Payments
Copays, deductibles and other balances are due at the time of your visit. Please pay your full balance before your visit, online through the Patient Portal. It keeps check-in quick for you and for everyone after you, and we appreciate it. You can also pay at the front desk by card.
We can no longer accept checks at our office. To pay by check, mail it with the payment slip from your statement to the address printed on your statement:
VANITHA YADALLA MD
ATTN # 17431X
PO BOX 14000
BELFAST ME 04915-4033
Every unpaid balance means another statement to prepare and mail, which takes staff time and resources away from patient care. Please do your best to pay in full when you receive your first statement.
If you're facing financial hardship, please let us know. We'll do our best to work with you, so you don't receive repeated statements and calls.
Questions about copays, fees or charges can be reviewed with our billing team through the Patient Portal or by text. If you need to call, the number is (732) 280-2727, ext. 6.
Your insurance and your care plan
Your insurance policy is an agreement between you and your insurance carrier. Every policy is different: employers negotiate different benefits for their employees, and carrier rules change often. That makes it virtually impossible for us to know your benefits on your behalf. Please work with your carrier so you understand what your plan covers. Your plan's Summary of Benefits and Coverage (HealthCare.gov) is a good place to start. See also our insurance and payment options.
Then tell us, and tell your provider. Our goal is always the best medical care for you, whatever it costs. We also know that the best of what medicine offers comes at a price, and not everyone can do everything. That is one of the benefits of our practice: your provider will work with you on a care plan that fits your health, your lifestyle and your budget.
Prescription refills
The best time to handle refills is during your visit. Your provider has you and your full history in mind, so please review your medications together and ask for everything you'll need until your next visit.
A refill request between visits may not be possible right away. Your provider may need a short telehealth visit to check how the medication is working and to put in the orders correctly. Some medications, especially those that need monitoring, require a visit or lab work before they can be renewed. This protects your safety.
Arriving for your visit
Please arrive 15 minutes early, especially for your first visit. If you're running late, text us (or call) at (732) 280-2727. We'll do our best to see you, but we may need to reschedule so that patients who arrived on time are not kept waiting.
Telehealth
Telehealth visits are available for some appointments when clinically appropriate. During the visit you'll need to be located in New Jersey, or another state where your provider is licensed.
Before a telehealth visit, please check with your insurance carrier that your plan covers it. Carrier rules change often, so we can't confirm telehealth coverage on your behalf. If you have Medicare, see Medicare's telehealth coverage page.
Respect for everyone
Our team works hard to care for every patient. We ask that patients and visitors treat our staff and one another with courtesy. To protect other patients' privacy, please ask before recording in our office. How we protect your health information is explained in our Notice of Privacy Practices.
Good Faith Estimate (patients without insurance or paying cash)
Federal law requires this notice for patients who are uninsured or choose not to use insurance, such as Trim & Transform members and patients who pay cash only.
You have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" explaining how much your health care will cost
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don't have certain types of health care coverage or who are not using certain types of health care coverage an estimate of their bill for health care items and services before those items or services are provided.
- You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any health care items or services upon request or when scheduling such items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
- If you schedule a health care item or service at least 3 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 1 business day after scheduling. If you schedule a health care item or service at least 10 business days in advance, make sure your health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after scheduling. You can also ask any health care provider or facility for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you do, make sure the health care provider or facility gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing within 3 business days after you ask.
- If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more for any provider or facility than your Good Faith Estimate from that provider or facility, you can dispute the bill.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers, email FederalPPDRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov, or call 1-800-985-3059.
To request a Good Faith Estimate from YHealth, including for our Trim & Transform program, text us at (732) 280-2727 or send a message through the Patient Portal.
Learn more from the federal government: Understanding costs in advance (CMS) 路 The official notice, revised August 2023 (PDF)
Questions
Text us at (732) 280-2727 or send a message through the Patient Portal. We're glad to help.