Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a program run by Medicare and Medicaid. Its mission is to provide health care services to seniors within their own community without the need of a nursing home or long-term care facility.

Medicare does not cover long-term care, so PACE can help some people get the care they need without having to rely on a nursing home. PACE finds alternatives for nursing homes.

PACE seeks to allow most people to continue living in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Only about 7 percent of PACE participants live in nursing homes even though all of them are certified as needing nursing home care.

PACE delivers comprehensive medical and support services to its participants to maintain this level of independence.

PACE provides care in your home, community or at a PACE center depending on your needs and the types of medical services you require. PACE centers are required to meet all state and federal safety requirements. PACE contracts with specialists and other health care providers in the community to provide medical services.

PACE programs are not available everywhere. In 2022, there are 147 PACE programs operating 273 PACE centers in 32 states. 60,000 Americans are currently enrolled in some type of PACE program.

Before you can join a PACE program, you must first be enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or both. In some states, PACE is only available to people on Medicaid. You will need to check with your state Medicare or Medicaid office about the rules in your state.

In addition, you will need to meet other requirements to join PACE.

Enrollment in PACE is voluntary, but if you want to join and meet the eligibility requirements, you sign an enrollment agreement. Your enrollment continues as long as you want it to, regardless of changes in your health. If you decide that PACE isn’t for you, you can leave it at any time.

PACE covers all health care and medical services that would be covered by Medicare and Medicaid, so long as your health care team determines you need it. If your team determines you need care Medicare and Medicaid does not cover, PACE may cover it anyway.

PACE uses an interdisciplinary team of health care providers to deliver medical services to its participants. The team consists of a staff of health care professionals and paraprofessionals that assess your needs, develop care plans tailored for you and then deliver the services you require.

Those services can include acute care services or nursing facility services if you need them.

Teams usually meet daily to discuss the status of participants in the PACE program and to ensure each of them is getting their medical and social needs met.

Your costs to join a PACE program depends on your financial situation. But there is no deductible or copayment for any drugs, medical services or any type of care approved by your interdisciplinary team regardless of your situation.

If you qualify for Medicaid, it can cover the premium for the long-term care portion. If you don’t have Medicare or Medicaid, you can still pay your PACE premiums out of your own pocket.