Fort Myers Senior AdvisorWhat is PACE in Lee County?
PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a Medicare and Medicaid program in which one organization provides and pays for all of a member's medical care and long-term services, built around a day center and an interdisciplinary team; in Lee County the PACE organization is Hope PACE, operated by Hope HealthCare.
AHCA's PACE monthly report for August 2026 shows Hope PACE's Lee County program, operating since January 22, 2008, approved for 580 enrollment slots with 475 members enrolled (488 people served that month); its separate Charlotte and Collier programs had 80 and 94 members.
Who qualifies for Hope PACE?
A person qualifies for PACE if he or she is 55 or older, lives in the PACE service area, is certified by the state as needing a nursing home level of care, and can live safely in the community with PACE's help at the time of enrollment.
Most members are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, in which case PACE costs them nothing. People with Medicare only can join by paying the Medicaid portion privately, which is rarely affordable but is allowed.
What does PACE cover that regular Medicare does not?
PACE covers everything Medicare and Medicaid cover plus whatever else the team decides a member needs, including primary care at the PACE center, prescriptions, personal care at home, adult day attendance, transportation, therapy, and nursing home care if it becomes necessary.
The trade-off is that members use PACE's own doctors and contracted providers. A parent with a long-standing Fort Myers physician would have to switch.
Can a PACE member live in an assisted living facility?
Yes, PACE members can live in an ALF, and the PACE team can provide care services there, but PACE generally does not pay the facility's room and board, which the member pays from income or with Optional State Supplementation.
Ask Hope PACE which Lee County ALFs it already works with; coordination is much easier in a building where the team already visits.
How do we apply for Hope PACE?
Contact Hope PACE directly or ask the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida's Elder Helpline (1-866-413-5337) to start; PACE staff do a home visit and assessment, the state confirms nursing home level of care, and Medicaid eligibility is determined by DCF if needed.
PACE enrollment begins on the first of a month, and members can leave at any time. Because PACE is not part of the SMMC waitlist, it can be faster for some families, depending on available slots.
The short version
| PACE is | PACE is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | One organization providing all care | Insurance that pays any doctor you choose |
| Setting | Built around a day center and home care | A residential facility |
| Cost | No premium for dual-eligible members | A way to pay ALF rent |
Built from Chapters 400, 408, 429 and 651 of the Florida Statutes, Fla. Admin. Code chapters 59A-4, 59A-36 and 65A-2, and AHCA, DCF, OIR, Elder Affairs, CMS, VA and CareScout publications cited on the page; see our editorial standards.
