TL;DR
Turn your wind-down time into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
Reps. Debbie Dingell and John Moolenaar introduced the PACE Access Improvement Act on Sept. 24. It would make PACE a mandatory Medicaid service, allow enrollment to begin any day of the month and ease limits on provider growth; passage by the end of 2026 is considered unlikely by supporter LeadingAge.
Reps. Debbie Dingell, a Democrat, and John Moolenaar, a Republican, both of Michigan, introduced a bill on Sept. 24 that would make the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly a mandatory Medicaid service in every state and ease restrictions on enrollment and provider growth. The proposal could widen access to a model combining medical and social services for older adults who need nursing home-level care while living at home.
The PACE Access Improvement Act would let enrollment take effect on any day of the month. Under current federal policy, coverage generally starts on the first day of the month after the provider receives the agreement. The bill also would repeal some marketing restrictions and remove numerical limits on PACE program agreements, according to the source report.
PACE is currently optional for states. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have adopted the program, with 204 locations, according to the National PACE Association, as cited by Home Health Care News. If enacted, states already operating at least one PACE provider would have 180 days to comply with the new rules; states without a PACE program would have three years.
The bill has support from the National PACE Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement and the American Association on Health and Disability. Seen Health, a technology-enabled provider based in Los Angeles, also supports it. The proposal’s provisions are proposed changes; the source report does not describe them as enacted policy.
How Medicaid Access Could Change
Making PACE mandatory would require states to offer the program, changing its current optional status and potentially extending the model to places where it is not available. The National PACE Association figures cited in the report show that adoption is not yet nationwide: 17 states had not opted in, based on the stated total of 50 states and the District of Columbia and the 33 states plus the District already participating.
The bill also addresses timing and capacity. Allowing enrollment to take effect any day of the month could reduce the wait associated with the current first-of-next-month start, while removing agreement limits could make it easier for providers to establish or expand programs. The actual effect on access would depend on enactment, state implementation and providers’ ability to open and operate programs; the source material does not quantify how many people could gain services.
PACE’s Current State Footprint
PACE is a joint Medicare and Medicaid program that combines medical and social services for eligible older adults who need nursing home-level care but can live in the community with support. The bill focuses on expanding access to that existing model through changes to state requirements, enrollment timing and provider rules.
The proposal has bipartisan sponsors, but broad organizational support does not establish its prospects in Congress. LeadingAge, an advocacy association for nonprofit aging-services providers and a supporter of the bill, said the measure is unlikely to pass by the end of 2026. The report says a companion bill is expected in the Senate by year-end.
““PACE keeps frail older adults healthy and living at home, and families trust it.””
— Xing Su, Seen Health co-founder and CEO, to Home Health Care News
Passage and Local Rollout Remain Open
The bill’s path through Congress is uncertain. LeadingAge, despite supporting the measure, assessed that it is unlikely to pass by the end of 2026, according to the report. The report also says a Senate companion is expected, but does not identify a sponsor or give a specific introduction date.
It is not yet clear how many additional PACE programs the proposed changes could produce, how quickly providers might expand, or how many people now waiting for services could enroll. Those outcomes would depend on the bill’s final terms, congressional action and implementation by states and providers.
Senate Companion and Congressional Action
A companion bill is expected in the Senate by the end of 2026, according to Home Health Care News. The legislation would then need to advance through Congress and be enacted before its proposed state deadlines could begin.
If enacted, states with an existing PACE provider would have 180 days to comply, while states without a program would have three years. Until the proposal advances, PACE remains optional for states and the current enrollment start rule remains in place.
Key Questions
What would the PACE Access Improvement Act change?
It would make PACE mandatory under Medicaid in every state, allow enrollment to take effect any day of the month, repeal certain marketing restrictions and remove numerical limits on program agreements.
What is PACE?
PACE, the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, combines medical and social services under Medicare and Medicaid for older adults who need nursing home-level care but can live at home with support.
Which states currently offer PACE?
The National PACE Association figures cited by Home Health Care News show programs in 33 states and the District of Columbia, across 204 locations.
When would states have to comply if the bill becomes law?
States already operating at least one PACE provider would have 180 days after enactment. States without a PACE program would have three years.
Is the bill expected to pass in 2026?
Its passage is uncertain. LeadingAge, a supporter, said it is unlikely to pass by the end of 2026. A Senate companion is expected by year-end, according to the report.
Source: rss
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day Picks
long weekend sales
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
