Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
PACE provides comprehensive medical and social services to certain frail, older adults who still live in the community. It combines Medicare and Medicaid services through one care team to help people avoid nursing-home care.
Understanding Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a joint Medicare and Medicaid program that provides comprehensive medical and social services to certain frail older adults so they can keep living safely in their community instead of moving to a nursing home. An interdisciplinary team coordinates all of a participant's care, usually centered on a local PACE center.
For beneficiaries, PACE bundles virtually all care — doctors, specialists, prescriptions, therapy, adult day care, meals, and transportation — under one program with one care team. To qualify you generally must be 55 or older, certified by your state as needing nursing-home-level care, and able to live safely in the community with PACE support.
For example, a PACE participant might attend a day center several times a week for therapy and meals, get rides to all medical appointments, and have their medications managed by the PACE team — all without separate bills or coordinating multiple plans.
Have questions about PACE? Get a free Medicare review and we will help you find out whether a PACE program serves your area.
Related Terms
Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP)
A D-SNP is a Special Needs Plan for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. It coordinates benefits across both programs and often includes extra benefits and care coordination for dual-eligible members.
Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP)
An I-SNP is a Special Needs Plan for people who live in an institution such as a nursing home, or who need a similar level of care at home. It focuses on coordinated care for that setting.
Special Needs Plan (SNP)
A Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan that limits membership to people with specific characteristics — a chronic condition, both Medicare and Medicaid, or living in an institution — and tailors its benefits, formulary, and care coordination to that group.
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