LTSS Roadmap - Cherokee Nation PACE Model
Guidance for the LTSS Roadmap planning model, which can guide communities through the planning process if they need to establish long-term services and supports or improve its current program. This module provides information on PACE programs for the Cherokee Nations.
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: August 03, 2016
State of Oklahoma
Point of Contact
Sharon Hilton
Director
Cherokee Elder Care Program
(918) 456-5051
In 2008 the Cherokee Elder Care Program was inaugurated. Cherokee Elder Care is the first PACE program in Oklahoma and the first one to be sponsored by an American Indian and Alaska Native Tribe or tribal organization. It is also one of the first to serve rural communities. It supports an interdisciplinary approach to health care delivery that is headed by a primary care physician and in which other professional and paraprofessional staff members assess needs, develop care plans, and deliver health and human services as part of an integrated and comprehensive system of care. Services provided under Cherokee Elder Care include primary care, personal care assistance, home health aides, meals and nutritional counseling, physical, speech, and occupational therapy, limited transportation services, respite support, hospice care, and medical prescriptions. The program provides administrative functions, too. These include Medicaid application assistance and case management. Eligibility needs assessments for potential clients are conducted by the State of Oklahoma.
Because it is an all-inclusive program, all elders who enroll in the program are required to use Cherokee Elder Care as their primary medical provider. As of 2011, the program is serving 83 elders monthly. To qualify to participate in PACE, a person must be 55 years or older, certified as needing nursing home-level care, and living in 1 of the 10 designated counties in northeastern Oklahoma.
PACE services are provided via Medicare and Medicaid funding. This national model of care is permanently available through Medicare. To be covered by Medicaid, the model must be included in the State’s Medicaid Plan as an available option. Once this option is available, the State can contract with a PACE provider. In the case of the Cherokee Nation, the contract went through the Oklahoma Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare beneficiaries who are not eligible for Medicaid pay monthly premium payments that are equal to the capitation amount. They are not responsible for any additional costs.
Participation is open to all persons who qualify and is not limited to enrolled Cherokee tribal members or American Indian and Alaska Native elders.
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