New Jersey plans to go statewide with a program aimed at caring for older adults outside of nursing homes.
The New Jersey Human Services Department announced Friday it is expanding the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to four counties in the state that don’t offer the program. PACE provides in-home and center-based services to mostly Medicare and Medicaid dual-eligible older adults.
Related: How private investment is becoming a driving force behind PACE
The department said in a news release it wants potential providers to submit requests for applications for PACE programs for Hunterdon, Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties. The expansion is the last step in the state's goal of making PACE an option for older adults in every county, New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman said in the release.
Seven for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including Menlo Park, California-based WelbeHealth and Vineland, New Jersey-based Inspira Health, operate PACE programs in 17 New Jersey counties, according to the National PACE Association. New Jersey’s Human Services Department did not provide details on the number of older adults enrolled in those programs.
The nearly 30-year-old PACE has been on a growth spurt over the past few years as demand for senior care options increases with an aging population. Additional states and for-profit providers, such as InnovAge, WelbeHealth, One Senior Care and Habitat Health have expanded into the space. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia offer the program to approximately 80,000 older adults.
PACE provides home care, prescriptions, meals and transportation to participants. They also can socialize and receive a variety of medical services at neighborhood PACE centers. Providers take on full risk for members.
