The Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offers a variety of services, with many of them provided onsite at a PACE Center.
PACE is an alternative to nursing home care and – through an interdisciplinary care team (IDT) of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, therapists, van drivers, and aides – coordinates and provides preventive, primary, acute, and long-term care services, so older individuals can continue living in the community.
PACE began in 1971 in San Francisco as a noble idea by Dr. William Gee and social worker Marie-Louise Ansak to design a comprehensive system of health and social care that allowed people to receive care while living at home. Today, that idea has expanded into a nationally replicated, federally funded program. See how many programs are operating nationally here.
The interdisciplinary team collaborates with seniors and their families to create a comprehensive and coordinated personal care plan, make all necessary appointments, coordinate specialists, fill prescriptions, and provide transportation to and from PACE centers.
While at a PACE center, participants receive a hot meal, social interaction, and recreational activities, in addition to medical clinic check-ups, physical therapy, and/or rehabilitative therapy, as determined by the interdisciplinary team.
Each PACE provider in California delivers a full range of health and long-term care services, including hospital, emergency, and nursing home care. Once enrolled in PACE, the amount you pay each month will not change no matter what care and services a participant might need. There is never a co-pay, deductible, or coverage gap. The program provides all the care and services covered by Medicare and Medicaid, as authorized by the interdisciplinary team, as well as additional medically-necessary care and services not covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
To qualify for participating in PACE program, an individual must:
- be 55 years of age or older;
- live in a PACE service area;
- be able to live safely in the community at the time of enrollment, and;
- be certified by the state to need a nursing home level of care.
