caregiver helping woman with walker

A new East-meets-West partnership could advance the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for Seniors (PACE) model across the U.S. 

California-based Scan Health Plan and Boston-based Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) recently launched myPlace Health, an integrated care delivery model that will offer seniors home-and-community-based services through new PACE programs.

Robbie Pottharst will lead myPlace Health. The former Kaiser Permanente and CareMore Health executive told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse that PACE proved it could successfully bring more services into the home during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that flexibility and the popularity of HCBS in Washington make the time ripe to expand the Medicare/Medicaid program to a much larger audience.

“We also think there is an opportunity to serve other patients or members with very similar clinical characteristics, who may not be PACE-eligible, but still require and should have access to those same services that enable them to live at home in their communities and their families for as long as possible,” Pottharst explained.

Benefits for D-SNP patients

Pottharst said patients with Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) make up one cohort that could benefit from PACE. 

“There are going to be ways that we commercialize our model, not only to serve PACE primarily, but to do other things that serve members who have similar needs,” Pottharst said. 

myPlace Health is also looking for ways to reduce the costs of starting a PACE program. Building a center for meals, healthcare and social activities can cost up to $12 million. Pottharst said there may be ways to offer more services at home, instead of at centers to reduce costs. That strategy could result in partnerships with home care and home health agencies.

“Wherever possible we want to partner with the other community mission-driven organizations, ” Pottharst said. “That does mean home health and personal care”

myPlace Health hasn’t yet decided where its first PACE program might be. That announcement may not come for a few more months.

Program for independent-living seniors

PACE provides both center-based services and in-home care to seniors who are eligible for skilled nursing but can still live independently. The program is currently available in 31 states for an estimated 50,000 clients. PACE is free to seniors who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, however, Medicare-only beneficiaries can pay a fee for some PACE services.

Nonprofit SCAN Health Plan offers Medicare Advantage plans in California, Arizona and Nevada. Its parent company, SCAN Group, has made investments in a number of in-home care providers, including MedArrive, Monogram Health and Welcome Health. CCA is an integrated healthcare system providing medical care and Medicare Advantage plans to high-needs patients mostly in the Northeast.

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