Omaha Senior AdvisorIs there a PACE program in Omaha?
Yes. Immanuel Pathways, at 5755 Sorensen Parkway in Omaha, (402) 512-6199, is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly for eastern Nebraska, serving adults 55 and older in select ZIP codes of Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Dodge, Saunders and Washington counties; Immanuel describes itself as the sole PACE provider in Nebraska.
PACE is a federal Medicare and Medicaid program for people who need a nursing home level of care but want to stay at home. Because the service area is defined by ZIP code, call Immanuel Pathways to confirm whether a particular address is covered before planning around it. The Sorensen Parkway center also appears on the DHHS roster of licensed adult day services, because participants spend time there for care, meals and activities.
Who is eligible for PACE in the Omaha area?
A participant must be at least 55, live in the PACE service area, meet the state's nursing facility level of care and be able to live safely in the community with PACE's help at the time of enrollment.
Participants do not have to be on Medicaid. People with both Medicare and Medicaid usually pay no premium for PACE; people who have Medicare only, or who pay privately, pay a monthly premium for the long-term care portion. Ask Immanuel Pathways for the current premium in writing. Enrollment is voluntary and a participant can leave at any time, returning to ordinary Medicare and Medicaid.
What does PACE cover?
PACE covers every service Medicare and Medicaid cover, plus anything else the PACE care team decides a participant needs: primary care, specialists, prescriptions, home care, adult day center time, therapies, transportation, hospital and nursing home care, all coordinated by one interdisciplinary team.
The trade-off is that PACE becomes the participant's entire health plan: participants generally use the PACE program's doctors and contracted providers, and the team must authorize care outside the center except in emergencies. For a parent with several specialists they want to keep, ask whether those doctors contract with the program before enrolling.
Can a PACE participant live in assisted living?
PACE is designed for people living in the community, and the PACE team decides where services are delivered; some participants live in their own homes, some with family, and some programs serve participants in assisted living, so ask Immanuel Pathways how it handles a participant who moves into an Omaha ALF.
If PACE determines a participant needs nursing home care, PACE pays for it and continues to manage that care. That continuity is one of the program's strengths for families worried about a second move later.
How is PACE different from the AD Waiver?
The AD Waiver adds home and community services on top of a person's regular Medicaid and Medicare doctors, coordinated by a services coordinator, while PACE replaces the whole system with one team that provides or arranges all care and carries the full financial responsibility.
Families who value keeping current doctors and choosing their own providers often prefer the waiver; families who want one organization responsible for everything, including transportation and the day center, often prefer PACE. A person cannot be on both at once. See AD Waiver vs. PACE for a side-by-side comparison.
How do Omaha families enroll in PACE?
Call Immanuel Pathways at (402) 512-6199 to confirm the address is in the service area and schedule an intake; the program assesses nursing facility level of care and whether the person can live safely at home with PACE support.
Enrollment takes effect on the first day of a month, so allow a few weeks.
At a glance
| PACE is | PACE is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | All Medicare and Medicaid services, coordinated | A supplement on top of other plans |
| Where | Home and the Sorensen Parkway center | Available at every Omaha address |
| Age | 55 and older at nursing facility level of care | Only for people over 65 |
| Cost | Usually no premium with Medicare and Medicaid | Free for Medicare-only enrollees |
Sources include 175 NAC 4 (assisted-living facilities), the Nebraska Revised Statutes cited above, Nebraska DHHS program and licensure pages, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables; see our editorial standards.
