THE SHORT ANSWER

PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a Medicare and Medicaid program that pays for and coordinates nearly all of an older adult's care, including doctors, home care, adult day, prescriptions and rides, so they can stay at home instead of moving to a nursing home. To join you must be at least 55, live in a PACE service area, need nursing-home-level care as certified by the state, and be able to live safely at home with PACE's help. In Erie County there are two PACE programs: Catholic Health LIFE and Fallon Health Weinberg-PACE (which also covers Niagara County). [1][2][3][4]

Who qualifies

Medicare lists four conditions [1]:

  • Age 55 or older

  • Live in the service area of a PACE organization

  • Need a nursing-home level of care, as certified by New York State

  • Able to live safely in the community with PACE's help

The WNY programs add their own rules. Fallon Health Weinberg-PACE also requires that you need its long-term care services for more than 120 days [3]. Catholic Health LIFE serves Erie County residents only [2]. Catholic Health LIFE says it helps members get a Uniform Assessment System (UAS) evaluation, if needed, to determine eligibility [2].

What PACE covers

PACE covers everything Medicare and Medicaid cover, plus anything else your PACE care team decides you need [1]. That includes:

  • Primary care, specialists, hospital and emergency care

  • Prescription drugs (PACE replaces your Part D plan; joining a separate Medicare drug plan disenrolls you from PACE) [1]

  • Home care and personal care

  • Adult day center with meals and activities

  • Physical, occupational and speech therapy

  • Dental care, and at Fallon Weinberg vision care including eyeglasses [3]

  • Transportation to the center and to medical appointments

  • Nursing home care when medically necessary

The catch: all care has to be provided or approved by the PACE team (except emergencies). You can be billed for services the team didn't authorize [1][2][3]. In practice that usually means switching to the PACE program's doctors.

What PACE costs

  • With Medicaid: no monthly premium [1].

  • Medicare only: you pay a monthly premium for the long-term care part plus a premium for Part D drugs [1].

  • Neither, or private pay: you can pay the premium yourself [1][2][3].

  • Everyone: no deductibles, copays or coinsurance for care the PACE team approves [1][3].

Fallon Weinberg notes that depending on your Medicaid eligibility level (set by the Erie or Niagara County Department of Social Services), you may pay a share of the premium, and its enrollment specialists can help with the Medicaid application [3]. Call either program for its current private-pay premium.

PACE programs serving Erie and Niagara counties

New York's Department of Health lists Catholic Health LIFE and Fallon Health Weinberg PACE as the PACE plans for Erie County [4].

Program Service area Centers Phone
Catholic Health LIFE Erie County [2] LIFE Villa, 600 Doat St, Cheektowaga 14211; OLV Senior Neighborhood, 55 Melroy Ave, Lackawanna 14218; LIFE Day Center at D'Youville, 605 Niagara St, Buffalo 14201 [2] (716) 819-5433, toll free 1-855-671-3341, TTY (716) 819-5227 [2]
Fallon Health Weinberg-PACE Erie and Niagara counties [3] 461 John James Audubon Pkwy, Amherst [3] 1-855-665-1113 (TTY 711), weekdays 8 to 5 [3]

How enrollment works (Catholic Health LIFE example)[2]

  1. Call; they schedule a tour at your home or the center and give you the member guidebook and provider list.

  2. If needed, they help arrange the UAS assessment to confirm nursing-home level of care.

  3. You meet the care team, who build a care plan.

  4. You sign an enrollment agreement. Coverage usually starts the first day of the next month. Membership is voluntary and you can leave; the program helps transition your coverage [2].

PACE vs. other options

  • PACE vs. MLTC: both are Medicaid managed long-term care, but PACE also covers primary and acute (hospital) care, while partially capitated MLTC plans cover long-term care such as home care and nursing home care [4].

  • PACE vs. assisted living: PACE keeps your parent at home; it does not pay assisted living rent. See home care vs. assisted living vs. nursing home costs.

Questions families ask

Is PACE free?

With Medicaid there's no monthly premium and no copays for approved care. With Medicare only, or paying privately, there's a monthly premium. [1][3]

Can my parent keep their own doctor?

Generally no: care has to come from or be approved by the PACE team. Ask the program which providers are in its network. [1][2]

Does my parent need Medicaid to join PACE?

No. You can join with Medicare only or pay privately, but you'll pay a premium. [1][2][3]

Is there PACE in Niagara County?

Yes. Fallon Health Weinberg-PACE serves all of Erie and Niagara counties. [3]

How old do you have to be?

At least 55. [1]

Keep exploring

More support. More life at home.

Explore Homeward by Cardinal for help coordinating everyday support and the next steps for aging at home.

Explore Homeward

Homeward is a separate paid service. Scope, availability, and pricing are confirmed before enrollment. It does not replace medical care. How Cardinal is paid.

Sources & dates

  1. Medicare.gov, "PACE": www.medicare.gov
  2. Catholic Health, "LIFE: Living Independently for Elders": www.chsbuffalo.org
  3. Fallon Health Weinberg, "Eligibility, service area, and cost": www.fallonweinberg.org
  4. NYS DOH, MLTC Plan Directory: health.ny.gov

Sources checked 2026-10; page published 2026-10-31. General education only, not legal or financial advice.