Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and John Moolenaar, R-Mich., have introduced a bill to strengthen the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and allow PACE providers to expand access to in-home care.
The legislation, called the PACE Access Improvement Act and introduced on Sept. 24, would make PACE a mandatory Medicaid service and ease several barriers to PACE enrollment. Additionally, the bill would remove limitations on applying to become a PACE organization, make PACE a mandatory Medicaid program, address unnecessary constraints on the expansion of PACE organizations and otherwise help foster the growth of PACE and its programs.
Tech-enabled PACE provider Seen Health supports the bill, Xing Su, co-founder and CEO, told Home Health Care News.
“PACE keeps frail older adults healthy and living at home, and families trust it,” Su said. “Giving programs more flexibility to enroll people when they need care and making it easier for proven programs to open new centers would let providers like Seen Health reach more of the communities that need this model most.” Los Angeles-based Seen Health provides culturally informed PACE services for older adults of Asian and Pacific Islander heritages in Southern California.
PACE is a medical and social services program under both Medicare and Medicaid that allows older adults to receive nursing home-level care within their own home.
The PACE Access Improvement Act would allow enrollment to take effect at any time of the month. Currently, enrollment takes effect on the first day of the following month. Under current federal policy, coverage generally begins on the first day of the month after the provider receives the agreement.
Additionally, the bill would require PACE to shift from optional to mandatory across all states. Currently, 33 states and the District of Columbia opt for PACE, including 204 locations, according to the National Pace Association. States that already have at least one PACE provider would need to comply with new regulations 180 days after the bill’s enactment, with states without PACE having three years to do so.
In addition, the bill repeals certain PACE marketing restrictions as well as numerical limits on PACE program agreements.
The bill is unlikely to pass by the end of 2026, according to LeadingAge, a supporter of the bill.
Washington, DC-based LeadingAge is an advocacy association representing nonprofit providers of aging services, including home-based care.
The PACE Access Improvement Act also garnered support from organizations including the National PACE Association, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement and the American Association on Health and Disability.
“The PACE model has been successful in helping seniors and Americans with disabilities age and live with dignity. But too many Americans continue to sit on waitlists to receive home and community-based services,” Dingell said in a statement. “With this bipartisan bill, we can put these long-term supports in reach for those who need them the most.”
A companion bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate by the end of 2026.
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