What does "continuity of care" ensure for patients?

"Continuity of care" is a healthcare concept that ensures patients can continue to receive care from their preferred healthcare providers, even when they change insurance plans. This is crucial because it helps maintain a seamless transition in care, allowing patients to keep their established relationships with healthcare providers who are already familiar with their medical history and needs.

When patients switch insurance plans, they may have concerns about losing access to their trusted providers. Continuity of care provisions aim to minimize these disruptions by facilitating care transitions and often include policies and guidelines that allow ongoing treatment with a current provider for a period of time or under certain circumstances.

This helps improve treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction, as maintaining a consistent provider relationship can lead to better management of chronic conditions and comprehensive support in healthcare. The other options do not align with the core principle of continuity of care as they either imply a lack of provider engagement or do not address the need for continued access to preferred healthcare resources during changes in coverage.