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DHS details LIFE (PACE) program status, cites data gaps that complicate rate reforms
Summary
DHS officials told the House Aging & Older Adult Services Committee that Pennsylvania’s LIFE (PACE) program serves roughly 8,000 people across dozens of counties but that missing Medicaid encounter data and uneven provider reporting limit alternative rate-setting and slow enrollment and expansion efforts.
The House Aging & Older Adult Services Committee heard from the Department of Human Services on the status of Pennsylvania’s Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) program, a state PACE program that combines Medicare and Medicaid benefits to allow older adults to remain in their communities.
Deputy Secretary Juliet Marsala told the committee the LIFE program is federally recognized as PACE and is “unique in its 3 way partnership between CMS, the state, and the LIFE provider organizations.” She said the program serves about 8,000 Pennsylvanians through 18 providers and 57 centers and that state providers operate across roughly 54 counties, enabling LIFE services for a large share of the eligible population.
Why it matters: Marsala said the department is pursuing both expansion and improved reporting so policymakers can evaluate program costs and consider rate reforms. She flagged three…
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