Tag Archive for: NPA

House Passage of Bill to Provide Veterans Improved Healthcare and Benefits Will Increase Access to PACE

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This article was originally published on NPA Online.

WASHINGTON, DC – November 18, 2023 – The National PACE Association (NPA) today said that the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act will give veterans increased access to the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly across the nation.

“NPA applauds the definitive action of the U.S. House of Representatives to dramatically increase the ability of veterans to enroll in local Programs of All-Inclusive Care (PACE) through their VA benefits and age in place. We are pleased Congress has recognized that older veterans with VA health benefits should have the same access to home and community-based services, such as PACE, as other seniors,” said Shawn Bloom, president and CEO of NPA.”

Bloom added, “NPA commends the efforts of House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL12), House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA39), Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) to work together on compromise language so the bill could move forward in the 118th Congress. Further, we strongly urge the Senate to take the Dole Act up swiftly in the coming days.”

Under current law not every eligible enrolled veteran has ready access to HCBS and PACE in particular. A section of this bill, sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ6), would ensure that any veteran with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care benefits, who is eligible for and needs home and community-based services (HCBS), including long term care services and supports (LTSS), would be able to receive such care and services at home, including through (PACE).

Providing care at home and in the community not only enhances the quality of life for veterans, their families and their caregivers, but also reduces VA health expenditures. Generally, the cost of HCBS is notably less than institutional care. Further, the VA has found that the use of HCBS creates additional savings by either delaying admission to a nursing home or avoiding such an admission altogether as well as lowering the risk of preventable hospitalizations.

“Our nation has a duty to our veterans to provide them with the best care possible through their VA health benefits, and PACE is proven to provide high quality care and reduce caregiver burden while being cost-efficient. NPA’s member PACE organizations always have been proud

to serve veterans and are eager to help more receive needed care in their preferred setting – their homes and communities. We congratulate Congress for the changes this bill will make and look forward to continuing to work with them so that all older adults will have affordable access to PACE,” Bloom stated.

The National PACE Association (NPA) works to advance the efforts of PACE programs, which coordinate and provide preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services so older individuals can continue living in the community. The PACE model of care is centered on the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community whenever possible. For more information, visit www.NPAonline.org and follow @TweetNPA.

NPA President and CEO Shawn Bloom Calls for End to Barrier to PACE Access

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This article was originally published on NPA Online.

SAN DIEGO – Oct. 13, 2024 – As the National PACE Association (NPA) kicks off its annual conference this week, president and CEO Shawn Bloom called for the removal of a key barrier that is denying millions of Americans access to Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

PACE is celebrated for its ability to allow older adults to age in place by providing high-quality home- and community-based care that is coordinated by a team of health care and service providers. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly accelerated the shift toward home- and community-based care as an alternative to skilled nursing facilities. While PACE is experiencing tremendous growth, many people currently cannot afford to enroll in the program because of an unintended penalty on its Part D services.

Unlike other Medicare enrollees, people who participate in PACE are required by federal law to enroll exclusively in the PACE Part D drug benefit. This drug plan costs up to 22 times more on average than the many more affordable Part D plans available to every other person enrolled in Medicare on the open market.

“Congress has a bill under consideration that provides a simple fix with a significant impact,” Bloom said. “The bipartisan PACE Part D Choice Act (S.1703/H.R. 3549) does away with the mandate that PACE program participants with Medicare must enroll in the PACE Part D drug plan and instead allows them to purchase a more affordable Part D plan from the open market.”

Passage of the bill would provide access to a new model of care for millions of seniors and their families, he said.

NPA is convening PACE leaders at its annual conference in San Diego through Oct. 16. NPA will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the event, which will be the most highly attended conference in its history.

About National PACE Association

The National PACE Association (NPA) works to advance the efforts of PACE programs, which coordinate and provide preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services so older individuals can continue living in the community. The PACE model of care is centered on the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community whenever possible. For more information, visit www.NPAonline.org.

NPA Applauds PACE Anytime Act Introduced by Sens. Bob Casey and Mike Braun

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This article was originally published on NPA Online.

WASHINGTON, DC – July 25, 2024 – The National PACE Association (NPA) expressed its enthusiastic support of the bipartisan PACE Anytime Act introduced today by U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mike Braun (R-IN), chair and ranking member, respectively, of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. The legislation would allow eligible individuals to enroll in PACE at any time during the month.

NPA applauds the senators for addressing a significant barrier facing older adults wanting to enroll in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Currently, new enrollees may begin receiving care only on the first day of every month. The bill also provides the ability to prorate capitation payments to account for varying PACE enrollment dates.

“No older adult should have to wait until the first of the month to begin receiving care and services from PACE,” said Shawn Bloom, president and CEO of NPA. “Given the rapidly rising numbers of older Americans and their clear desire to age in place, it is imperative for our nation to encourage ready access to PACE, which is a holistic model of care that is well equipped to meet individuals’ complex care needs at home and in the community rather than in a nursing facility.”

Other comparable providers, including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), home health and hospice, are not required to wait for the first of the month to enroll patients who need immediate care. In addition to delaying care, PACE enrollment limitations often force PACE-eligible individuals to seek care in SNFs and other modalities that are critically overburdened.

NPA is grateful to Sens. Casey and Braun for seeking to rectify this inequity so older adults do not face arbitrary delays in obtaining life-sustaining care from PACE, said Bloom.

The National PACE Association (NPA) works to advance the efforts of PACE programs, which coordinate and provide preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services so older individuals can continue living in the community. The PACE model of care is centered on the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community whenever possible. For more information, visit www.NPAonline.org and follow @TweetNPA.

Physicians Among Bipartisan Leaders Calling for Expanded Access to PACE

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This article was originally published on NPA Online.

WASHINGTON, DC – June 10, 2024 – The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is widely seen as a model of care that allows seniors to remain living at home instead of in a nursing facility, with a better quality of life and clinical outcomes. Most PACE participants are eligible for Medicaid. Seniors who are covered only by Medicare are eligible to enroll as well, but few do. Concerned about the barriers to enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries, the National PACE Association (NPA) held a Capitol Hill briefing on June 7 to urge lawmakers to increase access to PACE for older adults whose income levels disqualify them from Medicaid.

Legislators from both sides of the aisle spoke during the briefing, as well as a representative of the Bipartisan Policy Center and a private citizen seeking access to PACE. In attendance were U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE); U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), MD; U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-2), DPM; and former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer (R), MD. Other speakers were Lisa Harootunian, associate director of Health at the Bipartisan Policy Center; and Linda Henderson, for whom PACE Part D costs are a barrier to enrolling in the program.

Currently, more than 76,000 seniors participate in PACE, with 164 programs in 32 states and the District of Columbia. PACE empowers older adults and people with disabilities to live at home and in their communities despite being eligible for nursing home care. All of their health care, nutrition, transportation and other needs are identified and addressed in an individualized care plan by a dedicated interdisciplinary team.

A key barrier to enrolling in PACE for Medicare beneficiaries is the exorbitant Part D premium for prescription drugs. Part D costs are significantly higher for PACE participants than the millions of other Medicare beneficiaries – 22 times higher on average. Two bills now before Congress – the PACE Part D Choice Act and the DUALS Act of 2024 – would eliminate this burden on PACE participants. Both have bipartisan support.

The legislators and other speakers at the recent Capitol Hill briefing expressed their support for both bills.

“Leading the charge to expand access to PACE is a team of bipartisan senior lawmakers and experts – many of whom are also physicians,” said Shawn Bloom, president and CEO of NPA. “PACE is a nonpartisan issue. It is a health care solution. PACE allows seniors to live independently in their homes with all of their health and long-term care needs met. We need the legislation to pass in order to level the playing field for this critical segment of our population.”