PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, lets adults 55 and older who need nursing-home-level care stay in their own homes while one coordinated team manages all their medical and daily-living care. Medicare and Medicaid usually cover it. PACE isn't in Jacksonville yet, but funded programs are set to open in Duval County in 2027.
If you or a parent needs the level of care a nursing home provides but would rather stay at home in Jacksonville, there is a program built for exactly that. It is called PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and one coordinated team handles everything from your doctors and prescriptions to therapy, meals, and rides to appointments. It is not available in our area yet, but that is about to change.
Program details, eligibility rules, and the local expansion dates here reflect federal and Florida guidance as of July 8, 2026. Costs and availability can change, and every situation is different. Always confirm the specifics with medicare.gov, your state Medicaid office, or with us before making a decision about your care.
What is PACE, exactly?
PACE is a program that lets older adults who need a nursing-home level of care keep living in their own homes and communities. Instead of moving into a facility, you receive care through a local PACE organization that brings together doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, and aides into a single team responsible for everything you need.
The program is jointly run by Medicare and Medicaid and overseen by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That is what makes PACE unusual: it is not an add-on to your existing coverage. For the people who join, PACE takes the place of their regular Medicare and Medicaid and becomes the single source of all their care.
The heart of PACE is the interdisciplinary team. When you enroll, this team assesses your needs and builds a personalized care plan, then meets regularly to adjust it as your health changes. Most participants visit a PACE day center for medical appointments, therapy, meals, and social activities, and the program provides transportation to get there. When you need care at home, PACE arranges that too.
For a Jacksonville family trying to keep an aging parent out of a nursing home, the appeal is straightforward. One phone number, one team, and one plan covers what would otherwise mean juggling a primary doctor, specialists, a pharmacy, a home-care agency, and Medicare paperwork on your own.
Who qualifies for PACE?
PACE has four core eligibility requirements. You must meet all of them to enroll:
- Age 55 or older. PACE is specifically for older adults.
- Live in a PACE service area. Each program serves a defined set of counties or zip codes.
- Need a nursing-home level of care. Your state must certify that your needs are serious enough to qualify for nursing-home care.
- Able to live safely at home. With PACE's help, you must be able to remain in the community at the time you enroll.
One point trips people up, so it is worth stating plainly. You do not need to already have Medicaid to join PACE, and you do not need to already be in a nursing home. In fact, the whole point is to help you avoid one. What you do need is a level of care need that would otherwise justify a nursing home, confirmed by the state.
Because that care need is significant, and because the long-term-care piece is largely a Medicaid benefit, PACE is often the strongest fit for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, sometimes called dual-eligible. That said, having Medicare alone does not disqualify you, as the cost section below explains.
What does PACE cover?
Nearly everything. PACE covers all the care Medicare and Medicaid cover, plus additional services those programs do not, all coordinated by your team. There are no networks to navigate or referrals to chase, because the team provides or arranges it all.
| Category | What PACE includes |
|---|---|
| Medical care | Primary care, specialist care, and hospital care |
| Prescriptions | Prescription drugs, with no separate Part D plan needed |
| Therapy | Physical, occupational, and speech therapy |
| Daily support | Adult day health care, personal care, and homemaker help |
| Getting around | Transportation to the PACE center and to medical appointments |
| Wellness | Nutrition counseling, meals, and social work |
| Extra benefits | Dental, vision, and hearing care |
Because prescription drug coverage is built in, PACE participants do not enroll in a separate Part D plan. The program covers medications directly, which removes one of the more confusing parts of standard Medicare for many seniors in Duval County.
What does PACE cost?
This is the part that surprises people most, because for many participants the answer is very little. What you pay depends on which coverage you already have.
| Your coverage | What you pay for PACE |
|---|---|
| Medicare and Medicaid | No monthly premium for the long-term-care part of PACE, and no copays or deductibles for services your team approves. |
| Medicare only (no Medicaid) | A monthly premium for the long-term-care part of PACE, plus a premium for Part D drugs. Still no copays or deductibles for approved services. |
| Paying privately | You can pay the full monthly cost yourself if you do not qualify for Medicaid. |
The key detail is that there are no copayments or deductibles for any service, drug, or piece of care your PACE team approves. That predictability is a big reason families find PACE appealing. Instead of unexpected bills after every appointment, hospital stay, or prescription, the cost is settled up front.
For seniors who have Medicare but not Medicaid, the monthly premium can still be substantial, because it covers long-term care that regular Medicare does not. This is exactly the kind of trade-off worth walking through with someone who knows your full financial picture before you commit.
Is PACE available in Jacksonville or Northeast Florida?
Not yet, but it is coming. As of 2026, Florida’s PACE programs operate in other parts of the state, including Miami-Dade and Broward in South Florida, Pinellas County on the Gulf Coast, and the Southwest Florida counties of Lee, Collier, and Charlotte. For years, none of them reached Jacksonville or the surrounding Northeast Florida counties.
That gap is closing. Florida’s 2026-27 state budget funded new PACE programs right here in Duval County:
- Kinship Health was authorized and funded for roughly 200 new PACE slots in Duval County, effective March 1, 2027.
- Habitat Healthcare was authorized and funded for roughly 50 new PACE slots in Duval County, effective April 1, 2027.
These will be the first PACE programs serving the Jacksonville area.
That timing matters for local families. If you are caring for a parent in Jacksonville who needs a nursing-home level of care today, PACE is not an option quite yet. But if you are planning ahead for 2027 and beyond, it is worth knowing this choice is arriving, and that the exact service-area boundaries for St. Johns County, Clay County, and Nassau County will become clearer as the programs open. We are watching these developments closely so we can point families to them the moment enrollment opens.
How PACE compares to your other options
PACE is not the right fit for everyone, and it is a major commitment because it replaces your existing coverage. Seeing it next to the alternatives helps clarify where it shines.
| Feature | PACE | Medicare Advantage | Nursing home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you live | Your own home | Your own home | A facility |
| Care coordination | One team handles everything | You coordinate across providers | Facility staff |
| Long-term care included | Yes | Generally no | Yes |
| Level of need | Nursing-home level | Any Medicare enrollee | Nursing-home level |
| Separate Part D needed | No, drugs included | Usually included | Varies |
If your care needs are lighter and you mainly want help managing costs and coverage, a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan is likely a better match. Our guide to Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap in Florida walks through that decision. PACE is designed for a specific situation: a serious, ongoing care need paired with a strong wish to stay home.
Where PACE fits your planning in Northeast Florida
PACE is a genuinely good option that too few families know exists, and its arrival in Jacksonville in 2027 will open a door that has been closed here for a long time. But it is also an all-or-nothing choice. Because it replaces your Medicare and Medicaid, joining is not a decision to make on a brochure alone.
At Duncan Market Insurance, Carolyn Duncan has spent more than 20 years in the insurance industry and works today as an independent broker helping Jacksonville and St. Johns County families sort through exactly these kinds of choices. We do not sell PACE, and we are not paid to steer you toward it or away from it. What we can do is help you understand whether it might fit, how it compares to the Medicare coverage you have now, and what to weigh as the Duval County programs come online. If you are keeping up with the year’s Medicare changes, our look at Medicare drug price negotiation covers another shift worth understanding.
Ready to plan ahead for the care you or your parent may need?
Long-term care decisions are some of the hardest a family faces, and you should not have to face them alone or figure them out under pressure. A consultation with Duncan Market Insurance is a no-cost, no-obligation conversation. We will listen to your situation, explain your options in plain language, and help you plan for what is ahead, including PACE as it arrives in our area.
Book a consultation → · Call 904-217-8368
Sources
- PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), Medicare.gov
- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, Medicaid.gov
- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
- Florida 2026-27 budget PACE appropriations for Duval County (Kinship Health and Habitat Healthcare), Action News Jax
- Florida PACE Providers Association
Key takeaways
Frequently asked questions
What is the PACE program?
PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a Medicare and Medicaid program for adults 55 and older who need a nursing-home level of care but want to keep living at home. One interdisciplinary team coordinates all of a participant's care, from doctors and prescriptions to therapy, meals, and transportation.
Who qualifies for PACE?
To join PACE you must be 55 or older, live in a PACE program's service area, be certified by the state as needing a nursing-home level of care, and be able to live safely in the community with PACE's help at the time you enroll. You do not have to have Medicaid to join, but it changes what you pay.
How much does PACE cost?
If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, you usually pay no monthly premium and no copays or deductibles for services your PACE team approves. If you have Medicare but not Medicaid, you pay a monthly premium for the long-term-care part of PACE plus a Part D drug premium. You can also pay privately.
Is PACE available in Jacksonville or Northeast Florida?
Not yet. As of 2026, Florida's PACE programs operate in areas like Miami-Dade, Broward, Pinellas, and Southwest Florida. Florida's 2026-27 budget funded new PACE programs in Duval County, run by Kinship Health and Habitat Healthcare, set to begin in 2027.
How is PACE different from a nursing home or Medicare Advantage?
Unlike a nursing home, PACE is built to keep you living at home for as long as it's safe. Unlike a standard Medicare Advantage plan, PACE replaces your Medicare and Medicaid coverage entirely with one team that provides and coordinates every service, including long-term care Medicare alone does not cover.
Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the Federal Medicare Program.
