Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
WA DSHS HCLA
PACE is a comprehensive health and social services program for older adults who would otherwise need nursing-home-level care but can still live safely in the community. In Washington, PACE is delivered by Providence ElderPlace, International Community Health Services, and PNW PACE Partners. Participants get coordinated medical care, day-program services, and help with daily activities through a single team.
Who qualifies
What it covers
Cost
How to apply
How to apply
Call Providence PACE intake
Enrollment runs through the PACE organization itself rather than a state portal, so the first step is a conversation with their intake team.
- Providence PACE intake 206-320-5325
- Providence PACE referral form Open
- DSHS PACE overview Open
- Visit a Providence PACE center
Documents to gather
- Photo ID
- Medicare card and Apple Health proof
- Proof of income and bank or asset statements
- Property and transfer records
- Information about daily-living limitations, diagnoses, and medications
- Proof that you live in the PACE service area
Enrollment takes effect the first day of the calendar month after the PACE organization receives your signed agreement. Any underlying Medicaid determination follows the standard 45 day rule, or 60 days if a disability decision is needed.
Worth knowing
PACE means using only the PACE network for all of your care. If you go outside it without authorization you can be personally liable for the full cost, with emergency care the exception. This is the single biggest thing to understand before enrolling.
Providence serves two regions in Washington: King and Snohomish counties in the west, and Spokane County in the east. Moving out of the service area ends your enrollment.
PACE carries the 60 month asset-transfer lookback when Medicaid is paying, because PACE is one of the pathways that confers institutional status.
You must be 55 or older and meet nursing facility level of care, certified by a DSHS social worker, as well as living in the service area.
There are no copayments or deductibles within PACE.
The 2026 long-term care financial standards apply: income up to $2,982 a month, a $2,000 resource limit, and a home equity limit of $1,130,000.
See your next step, the documents you will need, and how to apply. Save it to your account to track your progress.
Where to go from here
Adult Day Center
Adult day centers are daytime programs for adults who need some level of supervision and care but not skilled nursing or rehabilitative therapy. Services typically include personal care, social activities, education, routine health monitoring, therapeutic activities, meals and snacks, transportation coordination, first aid, and emergency care.
Adult Day Health
Adult day health is a daytime program for adults who need skilled nursing care or licensed rehabilitative therapy. Centers provide skilled nursing services, physical/occupational/speech-language therapy, brief psychological or counseling services, plus the personal care, meals, social activities, and health monitoring offered at adult day centers.
Apple Health Classic Medicaid (SSI-related / Aged, Blind, Disabled)
"Apple Health" is Washington's name for all of its state medical assistance programs, including Medicaid. "Classic Medicaid" is the part of Apple Health for people who are 65 or older, blind, disabled, or who need long-term care. These programs count your income the same way Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does, rather than using the tax-based rules that apply to younger adults and families. The state Health Care Authority runs most Apple Health programs. The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) runs SSI-related coverage, the state-funded Medical Care Services program, and the Medicare Savings Programs that help pay Medicare costs. If you have both Medicare and Apple Health, Apple Health acts as your second layer of coverage and picks up costs Medicare does not, such as deductibles, copays, hearing aids, and dental. It can also pay for long-term care.
Apple Health for Workers with Disabilities (HWD)
Apple Health for Workers with Disabilities lets working adults age 16 or older who are blind or disabled buy into Medicaid. It provides full Apple Health coverage. Unlike most disability-based Medicaid, it has no asset test and no upper income limit. You qualify based on your disability (using the federal disability rules) and being employed, full or part time, including self-employment. You pay a monthly premium that goes up with income but never goes above 7.5% of your total income. American Indians and Alaska Natives pay no premium. While you are enrolled, you can put earnings into a separate designated account that will not count toward your eligibility for other Medicaid programs.
Not sure this one fits your situation? Your local Area Agency on Aging can check what you qualify for and point you to the right programs, for free. No one will sell your information, and no one will cold-call you.
Source www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/home-and-community-services/services-help-adult-remain-hom
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