PACE: staying in your community

What PACE is

PACE stands for Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. It’s built for people who need the level of care a nursing home provides but who would rather stay in their own community. Instead of juggling separate doctors, plans, and services, everything is bundled into one program coordinated by a single team.

What it covers

PACE is genuinely all-inclusive. It covers your medical care, prescriptions, adult day care, in-home care, social services, therapies, and transportation to and from the PACE center — and an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and social workers coordinates all of it around your needs. If a service is needed to keep you healthy and at home, PACE is designed to provide it.

Who qualifies

To join PACE you must be 55 or older, be certified by your state as needing nursing-home-level care, live in the service area of a PACE program, and be able to live safely in the community with PACE’s help. Because availability depends on a local PACE organization serving your area, the first step is checking whether one operates near you.

What it costs

Cost depends on what you already qualify for. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, PACE usually costs you nothing. If you have Medicare but not Medicaid, you typically pay a monthly premium for the long-term-care portion of PACE plus a premium for the drug coverage. Within PACE there are no deductibles or copays for approved care.