Des Moines Senior AdvisorIs there a PACE program for the Des Moines area?
Yes. Iowa HHS lists Immanuel Pathways Central Iowa, at 7700 Hickman Road in Windsor Heights (515-270-5000), as the PACE organization for Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper and Madison counties as well as Boone, Marion, Marshall and Story.
Guthrie County is not in any Iowa PACE service area on Iowa HHS's list, so Guthrie families rely on the Elderly Waiver and private services. Other Iowa PACE programs operate in Council Bluffs, Sioux City, the Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.
Who qualifies for PACE in Iowa?
People aged 55 or older who live in a PACE service area, meet Iowa's criteria for nursing facility level of care, and can live safely in the community with PACE's help at the time they enroll.
Medicaid is not required. Participants who have Medicaid usually pay nothing for PACE services; those with Medicare only, or neither, pay a monthly premium for the long-term care portion. Enrollment is voluntary, and participants can leave at any time.
What does PACE cover?
Everything in the participant's care plan: primary care from the PACE team, specialists, hospital care, prescriptions, the day center, transportation, home care, therapy and, if needed, nursing home care, all coordinated by one interdisciplinary team.
The trade-off is that participants agree to receive care through PACE's own clinicians and network, including for hospital and specialist care. For families who are coordinating a dozen appointments and caregivers, that single point of responsibility is the main attraction.
How does PACE compare with the Elderly Waiver?
PACE replaces Medicare and Medicaid with one program that includes medical care and a day center, while the Elderly Waiver adds home and community services on top of the member's existing doctors and Medicare coverage.
Someone who wants to keep long-time physicians usually prefers the waiver; someone whose care is fragmented, or who would benefit from going to a day center several times a week, often does better in PACE. Both require nursing facility level of care, so an assessment is the first step either way.
How do Des Moines families enroll in PACE?
Call Immanuel Pathways Central Iowa at 515-270-5000 for an intake visit; the PACE team assesses the applicant at home and at the center, and Iowa HHS confirms level of care and any Medicaid eligibility before enrollment begins on the first of a month.
Ask about transportation from your parent's address to the Windsor Heights center, how often participants attend, and how after-hours needs are handled. Iowa Medicaid Member Services (1-800-338-8366) can answer coverage questions.
Side by side
| PACE in central Iowa is | PACE in central Iowa is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper and Madison counties (plus four others) | Available in Guthrie County |
| Who | People 55 and older at nursing facility level of care | Limited to Medicaid members |
| Care | One team for medical care, day center and home help | A supplement to outside doctors |
| Cost | No charge with Medicaid; a premium otherwise | Free for everyone |
Drawn from Iowa Code chapter 231C, 481 IAC chapters 67 and 69, Iowa HHS and DIAL publications, CareScout, CMS, the VA and the aging agencies cited in the text; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
