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PACE backers ask committee to codify Program of All‑Inclusive Care for the Elderly in state law
Summary
PACE providers and participants told the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence that confirming PACE in statute (H.781 / S.477) would recognize a long‑standing, successful community‑based model serving nursing‑home‑eligible older adults and help expand access across the Commonwealth.
The Mass PACE Association and several PACE program staff, participants and caregivers testified in support of H.781 / S.477, requesting that the Program of All‑Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) be codified in Massachusetts statute.
Speakers said the program serves Medicare and Medicaid‑eligible nursing‑home‑level adults by providing coordinated medical, social and long‑term services to allow participants to remain in the community. PACE providers reported operating 20 sites serving nearly 6,000 participants, with participant satisfaction exceeding 90% and roughly 90% of participants avoiding nursing‑home placement.
Providers and participants described PACE’s comprehensive team‑based model — medical care, home services, transportation, day centers and supports for families — and urged the legislature to recognize the program in statute to ensure continuity, increase public awareness and enable alignment with other state programs. Testimony included participant accounts of receiving equipment, transportation and coordinated care that made aging in place possible. The association said statute would align PACE with other long‑term‑care programs that already have a statutory basis and would signal state commitment.
The hearing did not include a bill vote; advocates asked for favorable reports and continued funding and outreach to expand PACE coverage.
