Who Are People with Complex Needs?
People with complex needs are a diverse population with a mix of serious medical, long-term care, behavioral health, and social needs. These individuals often incur high health care costs or are likely to in the near future. Rates of hospitalizations, emergency department use, and home health services are significantly higher for these individuals than the nation at large. Yet, despite high service use, people with complex needs often experience worsening outcomes.
Complex care is an approach to care that strives for highly coordinated, person-centered care that enable people with an array of health and social needs to achieve better health and well-being. The Better Care Playbook offers a growing library of resources aimed at advancing what works in complex care among several key stakeholders — including state and health plan payers, health care systems and providers, and policymakers.