AHA expresses support for proposed updates to PACE program

The AHA strongly supports the innovations in care delivery and financing pioneered by the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly and generally supports the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ efforts to update the program’s regulatory requirements, AHA said today. The PACE program is a unique model of risk-based integrated delivery for frail, elderly individuals who are often dually eligible for both the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Commenting on a proposed rule that would make the first update to PACE requirements since 2006, Ashley Thompson, AHA senior vice president of public policy analysis and development, expressed support for CMS’s proposal to expand the definition of the primary care practitioner for the interdisciplinary care team to include non-physician caregivers, such as nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Among other proposals, AHA expressed support for allowing interdisciplinary team members to fulfill multiple clinical roles; screening protocols for hiring employees; and requiring state Medicaid capitation payments to be linked to a general payment standard.