Ohio should act now to expand PACE.

The Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provides comprehensive medical and social services to certain older adult participants living in the community. The program provides all needed health care, medical care, and ancillary services across all settings. Services include primary and specialty care, adult day health services, personal care services, inpatient hospital care, prescription drugs, occupational/physical therapies, and nursing home care, offered through an interdisciplinary team responsible for coordination of 24-hour care delivery. This hands-on approach also assists in preventing abuse and enhancing social supports. The vast majority of those served by PACE are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

This model saves taxpayer dollars and provides quality care to nursing home eligible Ohioans reliant on state support. Aging experts agree: now is the time to replicate the PACE model in other areas of Ohio.

Where do we go from here?

Ohio’s sole PACE provider – McGregor PACE – located in Cleveland, has proven that this type of service provides efficient, high-quality care. By expanding access to PACE, the state of Ohio can offer more choices to serve its older adults, save taxpayer dollars, and provide more Ohioans a chance at happy, healthy aging within their communities. We need the state to act now. PACE can be expanded through action either by the Ohio Departments of Medicaid/Aging or by the state legislature.

PACE expansion across the state was included in As Passed Senate version of HB 110, the FY 2022-2023 state budget, but was ultimately removed. It is time for Ohio to move forward with PACE expansion.

A strategic expansion of PACE in Ohio should address the following components to ensure success:

Establish market allocation with an RFP process through local service providers.
Assign oversight to Medicaid for payment/enrollment and the Department of Aging for operations/quality.
Include the PACE budget in the managed care budget.
Include the same rate setting methodology for PACE as the managed care plans.
Advocate enrollment in PACE as a solution for low income, nursing home eligible seniors in the community.
Ensure that enrolling in PACE is as easy as it is for someone to access nursing home services.

Only 16.2% of Ohio's PACE-eligible citizens have access to PACE. The National PACE Association (NPA) ranks Ohio as a state with one of the highest PACE-eligible populations lacking access in the country. By 2030, the 65 and up population, many with serious disability, is expected to grow anywhere from 20 to 40%, or more. Ohio will need a variety of care options to serve these individuals, particularly those with long-term care needs. PACE can be a vital part of the solution. While the current scope of PACE in Ohio is Cuyahoga County, regions like Toledo, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Akron and more are PACE-ready.

A coalition of quality-focused providers who directly care for over 60,000 Ohio elders in all corners of the state, along with state and federal advocates, support the strategic expansion of PACE in Ohio. Support the coalition to expand PACE.

Resources & Data

Learn more about the 31 states offering PACE to over 54,000 older adults around the country by visiting the National PACE Association’s website.