Lawmakers Push CMS to Modernize Program for Older Adults

Members of Congress are calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to finalize the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), which could keep more older adults out of nursing communities when their health worsens. Projections indicate that by 2030, one in five U.S. residents will have hit retirement age. "We've found that there are more efficient ways to do the PACE program that allows us to grow faster, to provide people better care and to do things more efficiently," says Robert Greenwood, a senior vice president with the National PACE Association, which represents providers. The Obama administration proposed a set of changes in 2016 that would let program administrators customize an enrollee's care team, provide more services in community settings outside of PACE centers, and make it easier for community providers to participate. Two bills introduced in the House and Senate this summer would require the agency to finalize new rules by Dec. 31. The House Ways and Means Committee plans to mark up the House bill Wednesday, according to Politico Pro . "The PACE program is long overdue for an update, and this bipartisan, commonsense legislation will ensure improvements are made quickly so more seniors can live at home longer," says Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), the lead sponsor of the House bill.