What PACE is
PACE brings medical care and support services together under one care team. It covers all Medicare- and Medicaid-covered care and services, plus other services the PACE team of health care professionals decides are necessary to improve and maintain your health. That includes:
Medical care
Doctor and other health care provider visits, hospital visits, and nursing home stays when your care team approves them.
Prescription drugs
Your drugs are covered through PACE. If you have Medicare, you get your Part D drugs from PACE — joining a separate Medicare drug plan would end your PACE enrollment.
Help at home and getting around
Home care and transportation, along with other medically necessary services.
A PACE center and care team
Many services are provided at a PACE center, which can include clinic visits, therapy, meals, and social activities. Your team — which can include doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, therapists, drivers, and aides — plans and coordinates your care.
Who qualifies
To join PACE, you must:
- Be 55 or older.
- Live in the service area of a PACE organization.
- Be assessed as requiring a nursing facility level of care — the PACE organization’s interdisciplinary care team conducts the initial assessment, and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) makes the final eligibility determination.
- Be able to live safely in the community at the time of enrollment, with the help of PACE services.
You don’t need to have Medi-Cal or Medicare to join, but they affect what you pay (see below).
Where PACE is offered in California
PACE is offered in 28 of California’s 58 counties. As of July 2026, 42 PACE organizations ran 124 PACE centers and alternative care sites, serving more than 32,000 people, according to the California Health Care Foundation. Each organization serves specific ZIP codes, so living in one of these counties doesn’t by itself mean PACE serves your address, and a few organizations also serve ZIP codes just across a county line.
San Francisco Bay Area and North Coast
Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma.
PACE centers in cities including: San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Rohnert Park, Napa, Eureka.
Sacramento and the northern Central Valley
Counties: El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba.
PACE centers in cities including: Sacramento, Elk Grove.
Central Valley
Counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare.
PACE centers in cities including: Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto, Stockton, Visalia.
Southern California
Counties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego.
PACE centers in cities including: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Riverside, San Bernardino, Redlands, Victorville, La Quinta, San Diego, San Marcos, Imperial.
To see whether a PACE organization serves your ZIP code, use the CalPACE Find a PACE Program search. County and city lists come from CalPACE (October 2026) and can change as organizations open or expand.
What PACE costs
- If you have Medi-Cal: you won’t pay a monthly premium for PACE. If your Medi-Cal has a share of cost, you’re still responsible for it.
- If you have Medicare but not Medi-Cal: you pay a monthly premium for the long-term care part of PACE and a premium for Medicare Part D drugs. The amount depends on whether you have Part A, Part B, or both.
- If you have neither: you can pay for PACE privately.
No deductibles or copays for approved care
In PACE there’s no deductible, copayment, or coinsurance for any drug, service, or care your PACE team approves. Care must be authorized by the PACE team and come from the PACE organization or its network, except in an emergency — you may have to pay the full cost of care that isn’t. If you move into a nursing home, ask the PACE organization what you may owe.
How to get started
Check whether PACE serves your area
Search by location with CalPACE (the California PACE Association) or Medicare.gov.
Contact the PACE organization
An enrollment specialist can explain the program and answer questions about eligibility.
Apply and complete the assessment
Applying usually takes at least two weeks. The PACE organization’s care team assesses you first, and your application then goes to the State of California — DHCS makes the final decision on the nursing facility level of care.
Start PACE
If you’re approved, PACE generally starts on the first day of the next month.
How Boomers can help
Our PACE self-assessment can help you see whether PACE might be a fit for you or a loved one. If you’d like, we can explain how PACE works and help connect you with a local PACE organization.
Boomers Insurance does not decide eligibility and does not approve or deny enrollment in PACE. Those decisions are made by the PACE organization and the state.
PACE questions
Do I need Medi-Cal to join PACE?
No. People with Medi-Cal, people with Medicare only, and people who pay privately can all join if they meet the eligibility rules. What you pay depends on which coverage you have: with Medi-Cal there is no monthly premium for PACE, though a Medi-Cal share of cost may still apply.
Can I keep my own doctors in PACE?
In PACE you get a new primary care doctor at the PACE organization, and your care team arranges your care. Some specialists you already see may be in the PACE network. You may have to pay the full cost of care that the PACE team didn’t authorize or that’s outside its network, except in an emergency.
Is PACE available everywhere in California?
No. You must live in the service area of a PACE organization. The California PACE Association (CalPACE) and Medicare.gov each have a search tool to check whether PACE serves your area.
Can I leave PACE?
Yes. Joining PACE is voluntary, and you can leave the program at any time.
Who is eligible for PACE in California?
You must be 55 or older, live in the service area of a PACE organization, need a nursing facility level of care (the PACE team assesses you and the California Department of Health Care Services makes the final determination), and be able to live safely in the community with PACE’s help when you join.
How much does PACE cost?
It depends on your coverage. With Medi-Cal, there is no monthly premium for PACE, though a Medi-Cal share of cost may still apply. With Medicare but not Medi-Cal, you pay a monthly premium for the long-term care part of PACE and a premium for Part D drugs. Without either, you can pay privately. There are no deductibles or copays for care your PACE team approves. If you have a Medi-Cal share of cost or move into a nursing home, ask the PACE organization what you may owe.
Does Medi-Cal cover PACE?
Yes. PACE is a Medicare and Medi-Cal program. If you have Medi-Cal, you won’t pay a monthly premium for PACE; if your Medi-Cal has a share of cost, you’re still responsible for it.
Is PACE available in San Francisco and the Bay Area?
Yes. CalPACE lists PACE in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties, with PACE centers in cities including San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Rohnert Park and Napa. Each PACE organization serves specific ZIP codes, so check your ZIP code with the CalPACE search tool.
How do I apply for PACE?
Check that a PACE organization serves your ZIP code, then contact it. Its team assesses you, and your application goes to the State of California for the nursing facility level of care decision. Applying usually takes at least two weeks; if you’re approved, PACE generally starts on the first day of the next month.
How many people are in PACE in California?
As of July 2026, California had 42 PACE organizations running 124 PACE centers and alternative care sites, with more than 32,000 people enrolled across 28 counties, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
Questions about PACE?
Take the short PACE self-assessment, or call to talk with our team. There is no cost to you and no obligation.
Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM PT
Sources
Facts on this page come from Medicare, the California Department of Health Care Services, and the California PACE Association.
- PACE (Medicare.gov)
- Medicare & You 2027 handbook (Medicare.gov)
- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (California DHCS)
- What is PACE? (CalPACE)
- PACE costs (CalPACE)
- PACE FAQ (CalPACE)
- PACE Organizations: counties with PACE (CalPACE)
- Find a PACE Program by ZIP code (CalPACE)
- PACE in California: A Growing Model for Complex Care (California Health Care Foundation, September 2026)