Greensboro Senior AdvisorWhat is PACE?
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a Medicare and Medicaid program that provides all medical and long-term care through one team and a day center, for people 55 and older who need nursing-home-level care but can live safely in the community.
PACE replaces the participant's usual doctors with the PACE team, covers prescriptions, therapy, home care, transportation and day-center attendance, and pays for nursing home care if it is eventually needed. For someone with both Medicare and Medicaid there is usually no monthly premium; others can pay privately.
Which PACE programs serve Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham counties?
PACE of the Triad, at 1471 E. Cone Blvd. in Greensboro (336-550-4040), lists Guilford and Rockingham counties, and Randolph Health StayWell Senior Care, at 809 Curry Drive in Asheboro (336-628-4200), serves Randolph and Montgomery counties and part of Moore County.
PACE enrollment is by ZIP code, and NC Medicaid publishes each program's ZIP list, so confirm the address qualifies before planning around it. The program will arrange an assessment and explain whether a level-of-care determination is needed.
Who is eligible for PACE?
People 55 or older who live in the program's service area, meet nursing facility level of care, and can live safely in the community with PACE's support when they enroll.
Medicaid eligibility is not required, but it makes PACE affordable: a participant with Medicaid usually pays nothing, while private-pay participants pay a monthly premium for the long-term care portion. Participants can leave PACE at any time and return to regular Medicare and Medicaid.
Can PACE help someone living in an adult care home?
PACE is built around living in the community, and some programs serve participants in adult care homes, but PACE does not pay room and board there; the participant pays the residence or uses Special Assistance where allowed.
Ask the program directly how it works with adult care homes in its area, because arrangements vary. If a participant later needs nursing home care, PACE remains responsible and pays for it.
How does PACE compare with CAP/DA?
Both serve people who meet nursing facility level of care at home, but PACE replaces the participant's doctors and coordinates everything through its own team and day center, while CAP/DA adds home services on top of the participant's existing doctors and Medicaid coverage.
PACE suits someone who would value a day center and a single team managing medicines and appointments; CAP/DA suits someone who wants to keep long-standing doctors or direct their own aide. Either can be a way to stay home longer, and the waiting periods differ, so ask both.
Side by side
| PACE is | PACE is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | All medical and long-term care through one team | An add-on to your current doctors |
| Who | 55+, nursing facility level of care, in the service area | Open to every senior |
| Cost | Usually no premium with Medicare and Medicaid | Free for private-pay participants |
| Where | PACE of the Triad and Randolph Health StayWell | Available at every ZIP code |
Drawn from G.S. Chapter 131D, 10A NCAC 13F and 13G, DHSR and NCDHHS publications, NC Medicaid, CareScout, CMS, the VA and the Piedmont Triad aging agency cited in the text; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
