There is strong evidence the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly provides excellent care and save money, but there are barriers to entry. Providers face steep obstacles launching PACE services, and potential participants have limited opportunities to enroll. That is why Trinity Health PACE, the largest nonprofit PACE provider in the country, is championing bipartisan legislation, the PACE Access Improvement Act, to make the program mandatory in all states and easier for people to enroll, Donna Wilhelm, vice president of advocacy for Trinity, told McKnight’s Home Care in a Newsmakers podcast.
Starting a PACE program is not for the faint of heart, Donna Wilhelm, vice president of advocacy for Trinity Health PACE, said. On top of steep capital expenditures and requirements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies, potential PACE providers can apply to start services only four times a year. People who want PACE services also face barriers such as being able to enroll only on the first day of the month. Trinity Health PACE is backing new bipartisan legislation introduced this fall that would provide anytime enrollment in the program, which allows Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to receive nursing home–level care at home — a strong preference for many. Stripping away some of the burdensome requirements also would make the program more scalable and boost access for more people, Wilhelm said. A report this summer highlighting PACE’s clinical benefits is bolstering the argument to expand the program and make it mandatory for all states. This is timely as the program is often on the chopping block when budgets tighten, even though it ends up saving states money, Wilhelm said. PACE currently is offered voluntarily in 33 states and the District of Columbia for people 55 and older who are nursing-home eligible. Like many areas of healthcare, private-equity backed, for-profit PACE services are emerging, raising concerns about maintaining patient-centered care.
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Show contributors: McKnight’s Home Care Editor Liza Berger; Donna Wilhelm, vice president of advocacy, Trinity Health PACE