President Biden Signs Bill Increasing PACE Access to Veterans

Major Step Toward Changing How Care Is Provided to Seniors

WASHINGTON, DC – Jan. 2, 2025 – President Biden today signed into law the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (S. 141). The legislation gives veterans increased access to the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) across the nation, reported the National PACE Association (NPA).

“This bill will dramatically expand the options available to our veterans who want to age in place,” said Shawn Bloom, president and CEO of NPA. “Moving forward, there are a myriad of additional actions that Congress can take to easily implement PACE for hundreds of thousands of additional seniors and their families who would benefit from PACE.”

PACE is a Medicare and Medicaid program that allows seniors with a nursing home-level of need to be cared for while living in their own homes. PACE reduces costs for state Medicaid budgets when compared to nursing homes.

Providing care at home and in the community enhances the quality of life for veterans, their families and their caregivers and reduces VA health expenditures. Generally, the cost of home and community-based services (HCBS) is notably less than institutional care. According to the VA, the use of HCBS creates additional savings by delaying or avoiding admission to a nursing home and lowering the risk of preventable hospitalizations.

“Further expansion of PACE enjoys bipartisan support because it is a model of care that works economically and toward the benefit of the health of our seniors,” Bloom said. “PACE saves state Medicaid funds as it keeps seniors out of nursing homes. Living in their own homes, they enjoy a better quality of life and have fewer emergency room and hospital visits. We urge Congress to take up additional matters such as removing the significant barrier created by the high cost of PACE Part D prescription benefits for older adults covered just by Medicare.”

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.