What is PACE?

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, is a comprehensive service package that permits eligible individuals to remain at home while receiving services, rather than being institutionalized. Only certain frail and elderly individuals who meet the criteria for long-term care qualify for PACE. More specifically, in order to be eligible for PACE, individuals must meet the following criteria:

· Medically qualified, in that the individual meets Medicaid’s long-term care eligibility requirements

· 55 years of age or older

· Living within the approved geographic area of the PACE organization

· Ability to live safely in the community at the time of enrollment

· Not concurrently enrolled in the Medicaid MIChoice Waiver

· Not concurrently enrolled in a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)

Local service providers can refer appropriate individuals to PACE, and the PACE organization will help the individual apply for Medicaid and perform an initial income and asset assessment. The PACE organization also will perform the medical/functional assessment necessary to see if the individual meets Medicaid’s long-term care criteria. Based on the results of these assessments, an interdisciplinary team with develop a comprehensive care plan that meets the individual’s needs. Typically, a PACE program provides eligible individuals with social and medical services in an adult day health center setting, supplemented by in-home care and referrals to other outside service providers.

PACE organizations can be either for-profit or not-for-profit private or public organizations, and they must enter into a three-party agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Becoming a PACE organization involves several steps that can take up to two years to complete. The state of Michigan currently has 15 PACE organizations.

Planning for your future in terms of your finances, long-term care, and estate planning, is a step that you should take sooner rather than later. Michigan’s PACE program is only one option that may be available to you, depending on your circumstances. By answering some of the questions about how to create an effective and well-funded plan for the future, it is our hope that we can help you create the long-term care and estate plan that is best for you and your family. At Legacy Law Center, we are here to advocate on behalf of all individuals and their families who need help planning for the future, no matter what options you choose. Contact us today at (734) 995-2383, set up an appointment with one of our Michigan estate planning attorneys, and discover how we can help you and your family.