This resource provides a framework for understanding the nature and extent of integration in programs that integrate LTSS with medical care and behavioral health.

• This taxonomy is a standardized tool to assess where along a continuum a given program lies with regard to specific components of integration.
• Integration is not the goal in and of itself, but rather a means of improving care and decreasing the total cost of serving a high-cost, high-risk population. To this end, the taxonomy can be used to evaluate the importance of each component of integration for achieving quality and savings.
• For a variety of characteristics, this resource provides relevant questions to ask and describes what they would look like with low, medium, and full integration.
• The characteristics include Member Assessment and Care Planning, Organization and Operation of the Care Team, Communication, Transitions, and Risk Stratification and Targeting.