As states navigate shifting federal priorities and increasing Medicaid budget pressures, integrated care models can improve outcomes and experiences for people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid while helping states better align financing between the two programs and maximize limited resources.
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) fully integrates Medicare and Medicaid benefits for dually eligible individuals age 55 or older who require a nursing facility level of care but can live safely in the community. Studies have shown that PACE enrollees have positive health outcomes, including lower rates of inpatient hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and mortality.
Despite recent growth in PACE, enrollment remains relatively low, with only about 95,000 individuals across 33 states and the District of Columbia as of June 2026. To explore opportunities for expanding access to PACE, the National PACE Association (NPA) and the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) convened national experts, state regulators, PACE organizations, researchers, and funders in October 2025.
This webinar, made possible through support from The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), shared key findings from the convening, including participant-identified recommendations focused on four priority areas for action to increase access to PACE: (1) reducing administrative and financial burden to start or expand PACE organizations; (2) expanding enrollment and eligibility; (3) measuring and messaging quality; and (4) enhancing workforce and operational flexibility.
Agenda
I. Welcome and Introductions
Speakers: Vicki Quintana, Senior Program Officer, CHCS; a representative from JAHF, and Peter Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President for Policy and Strategy, NPA
V. Quintana and a representative from JAHF introduced the webinar and welcomed participants. V. Quintana provided a brief background on PACE. P. Fitzgerald provided an overview of the October 2025 convening, Evidence and Opportunity for Scaling PACE, coordinated by NPA and CHCS.
II. Participant Priorities for Increasing Access to PACE
Speaker: V. Quintana, Senior Program Officer, CHCS
V. Quintana highlighted four priority areas identified by participants at the October 2025 convening as key opportunities to increase access to PACE, including: (1) reducing administrative and financial obstacles to starting or expanding PACE organizations; (2) expanding PACE enrollment and eligibility; (3) advancing quality measurement and messaging; and (4) enhancing PACE workforce and operational flexibility.
III. Panel Discussion
Moderator: Nida Enehizena, Program Officer, CHCS
Panelists:
- Gary Bacher, JD, MPA, Chief Strategy Officer, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and Director of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Erin Slabonik, Director, Division of Integrated Care Programs, Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services’ Office of Long-Term Living
- Esiquio Casillas, MD, Executive Vice President, Chief Clinical and Operations Officer, AltaMed Health Services Corporation
N. Enehizena facilitated a panel discussion with three experts, representing federal, state, and PACE organizations, who responded to the four priority areas identified by the convening participants and offered practical strategies for increasing access to PACE from their perspectives.
IV. Moderated Q&A
Moderator: N. Enehizena
V. Closing Remarks
Speaker: N. Enehizena
