It’s too good to be true.
“That’s the number one reaction we get,” said Veronica Horsley-Pettigrew, community outreach/marketing supervisor for Care Resources. “PACE is such a remarkable, holistic program that people can’t believe it’s real. If I tell you that if you have Medicare and Medicaid, you can get all these different services for free, you’d probably be skeptical, too.”
Horsley-Pettigrew is referring to the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE – and it is very much a real program that is federally and state-funded. In fact, PACE has been around for more than 50 years, and Care Resources is one of nearly 190 centers in the country. Despite its long history, PACE remains, unfortunately, a well-kept secret.
The program provides a wide range of health care services, everything from primary care, physical therapy and medication management to personal and home care services. The goal? Help seniors who are nursing-home eligible stay healthy and live independently in their own homes.
“This is bigger than a doctor’s visit,” Horsley-Pettigrew said. “You get a whole team of people taking care of you with a highly individualized care plan designed to suit your personal health goals. Most importantly, you get to live on your own terms. That’s huge.”
Care Resources serves seniors in their homes and through two West Michigan day centers that each include a full health clinic and pharmacy, rehab gym and activity rooms that make it easy for seniors to stay healthy, enjoy meals together and connect socially.
And it’s true: Qualifying participants pay no or minor deductibles or copays for all services.
“It’s hard to imagine a program like this and to believe you don’t have to pay anything for it,” Horsley-Pettigrew said. “That’s why I always say ‘Come in for a tour,’ because seeing is believing. We’ll even schedule someone to bring you here if you don’t have the transportation. People are blown away when they see PACE in action – the building, the care team, the many services and the lack of a price tag.”
Once people get past the initial disbelief, the next question that usually comes is: Am I eligible?
Participants must be 55 years or older, live in Care Resources’ service area and be certified by the state to be eligible for nursing home level of care, yet still be able to live safely in the community with the support of the program.
Eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare determines your costs for PACE services. If you qualify for both, there are generally no out-of-pocket costs to you. That means all approved medications, medical appointments, day center meals and activities, home care services and more are fully covered.
If prospective participants aren’t already on Medicaid but meet the long-term care criteria, Care Resources will help them apply for Medicaid. Horsley-Pettigrew says some people automatically assume they won’t qualify due to their income level, but that may not be the case.
“People will tell me they have tried to get Medicaid in the past and already know they don’t qualify because they make too much money or receive too much from social security,” she explains. “However, in Michigan, you don’t need to meet traditional Medicaid income requirements to have PACE covered by Medicaid; you need to meet our income and asset limits, which are higher.”
As of 2025, the asset limit is $9,600 and income limit is $2,901 per month.
Since PACE is a state- and federally funded program, there is a fair amount of paperwork involved. “A paper trail,” as Horsley-Pettigrew put it, is needed to prove program requirements are met. She acknowledges the paperwork can be daunting at first, but an intake team stands ready to make it as easy as possible.
“If you’re eligible and want to be in this program, we will help you through every step of the process,” she adds. “We have gone through shoe boxes of paperwork to help people find the necessary information. We’ve even taken people to the bank to get their statements. We want you to be able to live at home with all these supportive services.”
More information about PACE is available at CareResources.org. Individuals can also call 800.610.6299 or email info@careresources.org to schedule a tour.
