Chris Smith: “First of all, let me thank Kevin Brady, the chairman, for his extraordinary leadership on this and so many other issues…”

“First of all, let me thank Kevin Brady, the chairman, for his extraordinary leadership on this and so many other issues, and Mr. Blumenauer, with whom we have worked together to build a strong bipartisan push for this piece of legislation. I do rise in strong support for passage of S. 1362, the PACE Innovation Act. Identical to the companion bill that I introduced along with Mr. Blumenauer, this bill will provide PACE programs with flexibility to bring a proven model of care to new populations. The program for all-inclusive care for the elderly, or PACE, is a widely popular program serving over 30,000 seniors around the country. For those unfamiliar with PACE, the program delivers the entire range of medical and long-term services, including medical care and prescription drug services, physical or occupational therapy, day or respite care, and medical specialties such as dentistry, optometry, and podiatry. Currently, eligibility for PACE is limited to those aged 55 and over who meet State-specified criteria for needing nursing home-level care. This program will provide wellness and keeps people in their homes. It is already doing it. Now more people will benefit from it. It improves outcomes. And this is all for people who otherwise would be paying catastrophic costs for nursing home care. Mr. Speaker, PACE has seen a significant growth in recent years, including a 30 percent increase in the number of people receiving services over the last 3 years alone.…”