U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced today that the House has passed key legislation providing flexibility for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to bring its model of care to more seniors and new populations.
By a voice vote, the House sent S. 1362, the Senate companion bill to the Smith-Blumenauer bill (H.R. 3243, the PACE Innovation Act of 2015) to the President for his signature.
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The PACE Innovation Act will provide the federally supported PACE organizations with much needed flexibility to bring the benefits of coordinated medical and long term services to more seniors who seek to live independently in the setting of their choosing,” said Smith, who helped bring the first PACE to New Jersey in 2009 to Mercer and Burlington counties, and last week launched the newest program in Monmouth County. “
PACE has a proven track record of success in New Jersey and around the country and our legislation will enable more seniors to receive the all-inclusive care they need.”
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PACE is centered on the belief that it is better for individuals and their families to receive both medical care and long-term social services and supports in the home and community whenever possible,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer. “
Providing both existing and new programs with the flexibility to expand will allow more people to maintain their dignity and autonomy and support families during challenging times.”
Currently, the PACE model—which provides comprehensive, fully-integrated, provider-based health plans for the frailest members of our society—is limited to those aged 55 and older who meet state-specified criteria for needing a nursing home level of care. The PACE program delivers the entire range of medical and long-term services including: medical care and prescription drug services; physical or occupational therapy; day or respite care; and medical specialties, such as dentistry, optometry, and podiatry.
The PACE Innovation Act will allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop pilot programs that would bring the PACE model to more populations—including younger individuals, people with multiple chronic conditions and disabilities, seniors who do not yet meet the nursing home level of care standard and others—who could benefit from the comprehensive nature of the program.
The bill is supported by a number of advocacy groups, including the National PACE Association (NPA), the Alzheimer’s Association, Easter Seals, Volunteers for Americas, American Association for People with Disabilities, and the Lutheran Services in America Disability Network.
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The PACE community is grateful for Representative Smith's leadership in passing the PACE Innovation Act," said Shawn Bloom, president and CEO of the National PACE Association. "
This legislation is a milestone in the history of the PACE model of care. It will enable providers to build on the proven success of PACE to serve younger individuals in need of care and services to provide them with the highest quality of life possible."
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The PACE Innovation Act will provide needed flexibility to allow more individuals living with younger onset Alzheimer's disease to benefit from the type of community-based, integrated services that PACE programs provide. We applaud the leadership of Representatives Smith and Blumenauer in the passage of this important legislation, and look forward to working with them during its implementation," said Robert Egge, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, Alzheimer's Association.
PACE has seen significant growth in recent years—including a 30 percent increase in the number of people receiving services over the last three years alone—and has already enrolled roughly 900 New Jersey’s seniors in programs throughout the state.
Smith helped launch the first PACE program—the Living Independently for Elderly (LIFE) run by St. Francis Medical Center in Hamilton—to New Jersey in 2009. LIFE today has grown to serve 323 seniors in Mercer County and portions of northern Burlington County. In addition to Life and Beacon of Life, there are currently three other PACE locations in New Jersey in Camden, Vineland and Jersey City.
Last week, Smith attended the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of a new PACE program run out of the former Patterson Army Hospital on the former-Fort Monmouth Army post. Beacon of Life will serve eligible seniors from Monmouth County from its Stephenson Avenue location.
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Our bipartisan legislation provides options for many who do not currently have them—for seniors who need around the clock care but do not meet the nursing home standard, for the individuals with early onset Alzheimer’s or similar conditions who have not reached 55 years old, and for the families of those living with disabilities, chronic conditions or mental illnesses who have nowhere but institutional settings to turn to when their loved one is in need,” Smith continued.
On September 18, 2015, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health included H.R. 3243 in a hearing to examine policy options that will improve the Medicaid program for beneficiaries and on August 5, 2015, the Senate passed S. 1362 by unanimous consent. Today’s House action will send the bill straight to President Obama for his signature.
The new bill will allow the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to test the PACE model with groups who could benefit from the all-inclusive care of the program such as people with disabilities or chronic conditions, individuals at-risk for needing nursing home care and others under 55 years of age.
First authorized in the Balanced Budget Act in 1997, PACE has grown to serve over 30,000 individuals involved in more than 100 programs in over 30 states.