The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly is the full name behind PACE — a model that integrates every part of a frail senior's care. Here is how it works.
What is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly?
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a joint Medicare and Medicaid program that provides comprehensive, coordinated care to seniors who need nursing-home-level support but wish to live in the community. An interdisciplinary team — doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, and aides — manages every aspect of a participant's health and daily life. Care is organized around a PACE center that offers primary care, therapy, meals, and social activities, plus transportation to and from. The program began as a Medicare benefit in 1997 and now includes more than 170 programs across 33 states and DC.
Who is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly designed for?
PACE is built for adults 55 and older who are certified by their state as needing a nursing-home level of care, yet are able to live safely in the community with the program's support. Most participants are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, but you can join with Medicare alone, with Medicaid alone, or by paying privately. Participants must live in a PACE organization's service area. The goal is to delay or prevent institutional placement by surrounding the senior with a full team of providers and services.
How does this program change my Medicare and Medigap?
Enrolling in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly makes PACE your sole provider of Medicare-covered services, so you would not use a separate Medigap, Medicare Advantage, or Part D plan at the same time. That is a significant change worth understanding before you commit. Our licensed specialists at 1-800-MEDIGAP (1-800-633-4427) can compare PACE against keeping a Medicare Supplement plan with home care, free of charge, so your family makes the right call.