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

Who it's for

PACE is a comprehensive, integrated care program for seniors who are certified as needing a 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 Texas Medicaid, PACE replaces those benefits as one program with no copays. PACE in Texas operates in designated service areas — including El Paso, Amarillo and Canyon, Lubbock, and other regions — for people 55 and older who require nursing-facility level of care, live within a PACE service area, and can be served safely in the community. Participants agree to use only PACE-network providers.

What you'll need

• Proof of Texas 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 Texas 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 that you live within a PACE service area — such as El Paso, Amarillo/Canyon, or Lubbock — and that you are 55 or older and require nursing-facility-level care. PACE is not available in every part of Texas.
2. Gather your required documents: proof of Texas residency within a PACE service area, proof of age 55+ (driver's license, state ID, or birth certificate), your Medicare card (if enrolled), your Texas Medicaid card (if enrolled), 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 Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to start your application.
4. Contact the PACE organization serving your area directly to complete the process. They will verify your service area, review your documents, and arrange the required nursing-facility-level-of-care certification.
5. Work with the PACE organization's team to complete any assessments needed to confirm your eligibility and level-of-care certification.

What to expect: After submitting your application, the PACE organization will review your documents and conduct an assessment to certify that you need nursing-facility-level care. Processing times vary — ask the PACE organization serving your area for an estimate. If approved, PACE becomes your complete medical home, replacing Medicare and Texas Medicaid benefits with one integrated program that has no copays, as long as you use PACE-network providers. Because eligibility is reassessed each year, you will go through an annual re-assessment to confirm that your nursing-facility-level-of-care certification remains current. Note that this walkthrough is not legal or financial advice, and eligibility details — including your service area and level-of-care certification — must be confirmed directly with your local PACE organization.

Renewals

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