CONTINUITY OF CARE PLAYBOOK
Just like your wealth advisors, your healthcare team should know your history, anticipate your needs and coordinate seamlessly. That level of continuity — when providers share information, maintain relationships and guard against gaps — is critical to outcomes and to avoiding costly, avoidable detours in care. One that’s built on trust, familiarity, and years of understanding where providers know your medical history, preferences and needs — and nothing falls through the cracks.
The evidence you can’t ignore
“Continuity of care is the process by which the patient and his/her physician‑led care team are cooperatively involved in ongoing health care management toward the shared goal of high quality, cost‑effective medical care,” defines the American Academy of Family Physicians. Yet the current U.S. average 30‑day readmission rate sits at roughly 14.6 percent, ranging from 11.2 percent to 22.3 percent across regions — a clear sign that fragmentation still reigns. In order to ensure continuity, it is essential that all of your providers know what the other has determined to be the best treatment, medication or testing.
Why it’s important
Continuity of care isn’t just a buzzword; it’s essential for better health outcomes and reducing errors. Imagine having a primary care physician familiar with your history, a mental health provider attuned to your needs, and specialists working seamlessly together. This level of continuity elevates care quality and instills confidence in your healthcare journey. A dedicated healthcare advisor will help optimize the communication amongst your healthcare team.
What’s happening now
However, maintaining continuity of care is not always guaranteed, especially in an era marked by frequent changes in insurance coverage and provider networks. Patients may find themselves in situations where their trusted healthcare providers are no longer accessible due to changes in insurance plans or network affiliations. This sudden disruption can be unsettling and potentially detrimental to one’s health, as it may lead to gaps in care or the loss of valuable medical insights.
Real‑world impact
A study of more than 20,000 people with heart failure found that patients whose care teams stayed in close sync were 10 percent less likely to end up back in the hospital within a month, 17 percent less likely to die and saw overall costs drop by 16 percent compared with those with less‑coordinated care.
And when health systems brought care into patients’ homes — using everything from remote monitors to around‑the‑clock virtual check‑ins — they drove readmission rates down to about 7 percent (versus the usual 16–17 percent) and saved roughly $15,200 for every avoided return trip to the hospital.
Your proactive playbook
According to Medicare’s own guidelines, keeping a strong local team of doctors, clinics and health organizations is the best way to stop people from bouncing back into the hospital. And in a study by Becker’s and Biofourmis, more than half of the groups that offered at‑home care saw fewer readmissions.
A dedicated healthcare advisor can:
Track upcoming insurance‑network shifts before they leave you stranded
Negotiate carve‑ins so your favorite providers stay in play
Map backup specialists well in advance so there’s never a hole in your team
Ensure real‑time data sharing across every member of your care network regarding diagnoses, treatments and planned next steps.
With these strategies — and the right advisor facilitating communication between all your health providers — continuity of care will serve as the bedrock of your health strategy for safe and efficient care.