Matt Patterson, president of WelbeHealth, describes the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) as “going back to the future of healthcare.” The program, which was founded in the 1970s and now serves around 60,000 older adults across the United States, offers a level of integrated care that was innovative for the era. While it bears a resemblance to Medicare Advantage, a capitated payment model that focuses on social determinants of health, PACE’s high-touch care with superior outcomes sets it apart, he said.
The growing demand for PACE along with its proven effectiveness in keeping older adults healthy has created a surge of enthusiasm for the model, according to Matt Patterson, president of WelbeHealth, which operates seven PACE programs in California. The pandemic only highlighted the program’s ability to keep people safe and help them thrive in their homes. One of WelbeHealth’s aims is to scale the model, which has high start-up costs. Patterson expects the number of PACE programs to double in the next five to 10 years. He also talks about the reasons for his passion for the program: being a Navy doctor and the son of a dual-eligible, frail senior.
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