How to apply for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in Kentucky

Who it's for

PACE is a comprehensive, integrated care program for seniors who are certified as needing nursing-home level of care but want to keep living in the community. A single PACE organization becomes the participant's complete medical home — primary care, specialists, hospital care, prescriptions, physical and occupational therapy, dental, vision, hearing, mental health, transportation to appointments, meals, and adult day care at a PACE center. For seniors who have both Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid, PACE replaces those benefits as one program with no out-of-pocket cost. PACE is operated by eight organizations across Kentucky and serves specific counties — including Louisville (Jefferson), Lexington (Fayette), and the western Purchase region (Calloway, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken). Participants must live in a PACE organization's service area and agree to use only PACE-network providers.

What you'll need

• Proof of Kentucky residency within a PACE organization's service area
• Proof of age 55+ (driver's license, state ID, or birth certificate)
• Medicare card (if enrolled) and Kentucky Medicaid card (if enrolled)
• Recent medical records or a physician statement supporting the need for nursing-facility-level care
• List of current medications and providers

Where to apply

Step by step

1. Confirm eligibility before applying. PACE requires that you are age 55 or older, live in a PACE organization's service area in Kentucky, are enrolled in Kentucky Medicaid, and are certified as needing nursing-facility-level care under 907 KAR 1:022. Contact the PACE organization that serves your county to verify all three requirements — this tool cannot confirm your level-of-care certification or exact service area.
2. Gather your required documents. You will need: proof of Kentucky residency within a PACE service area; proof of age 55 or older (driver's license, state ID, or birth certificate); your Medicare card if enrolled and your Kentucky Medicaid card; recent medical records or a physician statement supporting the need for nursing-facility-level care; and a list of your current medications and providers.
3. Apply online through the Kentucky application portal. Use the official apply link on this page to reach the Kentucky online application.
4. Complete the level-of-care assessment. A PACE organization representative will conduct or coordinate a nursing-facility-level-of-care certification as part of the enrollment process. Have your medical records and physician statement ready to support this step.
5. Review and sign your enrollment agreement. Once eligibility is confirmed, you will receive an enrollment agreement stating that PACE will become your complete care program and that you agree to use only PACE-network providers.

What to expect: After submitting your application, the PACE organization serving your county will contact you to schedule a care assessment and verify your level-of-care certification. Processing times vary, so ask the PACE organization for an estimate of how long enrollment will take. Once enrolled, PACE replaces your separate Medicare and Medicaid benefits as one integrated program with no out-of-pocket cost, covering everything from primary care and prescriptions to transportation and adult day services. Enrollment is ongoing, but your nursing-facility-level-of-care certification is reviewed through an annual re-assessment — the PACE team will guide you through that process each year to keep your coverage active.

Renewals

ongoing (annual re-assessment of nursing-facility-level certification)