News

SAN DIEGO – Oct. 13, 2024 – As the National PACE Association (NPA) kicks off its annual conference this week, president and CEO Shawn Bloom called for the removal of a key barrier that is denying millions of Americans access to Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). While PACE is experiencing tremendous growth, many people currently cannot afford to enroll in the program because of an unintended penalty on its Part D services.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Sept. 3, 2024 – “Simplify Your Life: At Your PACE” is the theme of National PACE Month, which is observed in September to raise awareness of the fast-growing and increasingly popular Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®). PACE is an innovative model of care that allows seniors with long-term care needs to remain living in their own homes and communities for as long and as independently as possible. 

WASHINGTON, DC – Aug. 7, 2024 – Citing the negative impact of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans’ aggressive and misleading marketing practices on older adults served in Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) programs, two national associations representing PACE organizations urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen oversight to protect beneficiaries from harm.

WASHINGTON, DC – July 25, 2024 – The National PACE Association (NPA) expressed its enthusiastic support of the bipartisan PACE Anytime Act introduced today by U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mike Braun  (R-IN), chair and ranking member, respectively, of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. The legislation would allow eligible individuals to enroll in PACE at any time during the month and prorate capitation payments to account for varying PACE enrollment dates.

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 16, 2024 – Illinois is the latest state to offer the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), an innovative model of care that could solve the nation’s senior care crisis. With the recent opening of OSF PACE in Peoria, IL, nearly 77,000 seniors in 33 states and the District of Columbia now participate in PACE, reports the National PACE Association (NPA). PACE continues to grow quickly, with 167 PACE programs currently operating around the country.

WASHINGTON, DC – June 10, 2024 – PACE is widely seen as a model of care that allows seniors to remain living at home instead of in a nursing facility, with a better quality of life and clinical outcomes. Most enrollees are eligible for Medicaid. Seniors who are covered only by Medicare are eligible to enroll as well, but few do. The National PACE Association held a Capitol Hill briefing to urge lawmakers to increase access to PACE for older adults whose income levels disqualify them from Medicaid.

Legislation that the National PACE Association continues to advocate for is garnering support by a growing number of organizations, including more than 40 veteran service, homelessness prevention and elder care advocacy groups. The bipartisan Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act would enhance the delivery of health care, benefits and services for veterans and their families, including requiring the VA to enter into an agreement with a PACE program if it is operating in a geographical region where a veteran is seeking services. 

In anticipation of a vote in the House of Representatives soon, the National PACE Association (NPA) urges Congress to pass the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act (H.R. 542) so veterans can enjoy the best quality of life possible as they age.

Earlier this year, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs voted unanimously to advance the legislation, which would establish formal partnerships between PACE and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs).

On July 27, 2023 the U.S. House of Representatives Veterans Affairs (VA) Committee gave its unanimous support for the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act by a voice vote yesterday. Through this favorable vote advancing the bill, the legislation now can be debated by the full House.

On June 15, 2023, The Harvard Business Review published an article showcasing the benefits of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The article cites a case study of PACE Southeast Michigan that demonstrates “how PACE successfully delivers individualized, home-centered care to poor older adults while lowering overall costs” and describes how PACE improves quality of life.