Kaiser Permanente & Town Hall Ventures Launch Habitat Health to Offer At-Home Elderly Care

Kaiser Permanente joins forces with investment firms to launch Habitat Health, expanding PACE services for older, low-income adults.

US-based Kaiser Permanente and Town Hall have joined hands to launch Habitat Health, to provide comprehensive care support to older, low-income adults in their own homes. The company will serve older adults in partnership with local care partners, beginning first in California with Kaiser Permanente, and then on a national level.

Habitat Health operates under the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model. This model facilitates capitated payments from medicare and medicaid to providers, enabling the delivery of holistic medical and social services to eligible individuals. Moreover, Habitat Health plans to begin serving older adults in Sacramento and Los Angeles in 2025, aiming to keep low-income participants in their homes to receive personalized support.

Sharing insights, Bechara Choucair, MD & chief health officer, Kaiser Permanente, said, "Our dedication to helping improve the health of our communities and members includes ensuring that people covered by Medicaid and Medicare can count on receiving the care and coordination that Kaiser Permanente delivers to our members."

The initiative seeks to improve healthcare accessibility and quality for vulnerable populations.

What is a PACE Model?

The PACE model offers an alternative to nursing home-based care, prioritizing community-based services tailored to individual needs. 

Habitat Health aims to commence its services in Sacramento and Los Angeles from 2025, providing essential support such as primary care, transportation, meals, and physical therapy to enrolled participants.

Commenting on the same, Andy Slavitt, general partner, Town Hall Ventures, said, "We have an extraordinary challenge in this country... We need a better answer for the millions of older adults that is more humane, compassionate, scalable and affordable for the nation."

With approximately 72,000 adults aged 55 and above participating in 163 PACE programs nationwide, Habitat Health seeks to enhance the accessibility and quality of care for this demographic. 

Notably, 95% of PACE participants live in their communities, underscoring the importance of community-based care delivery models.

The joint venture, leveraging Kaiser Permanente's integrated care capabilities and Town Hall Venture's experience in addressing underserved populations, is poised to drive meaningful change in elder care. 

The partnership aligns with Kaiser Permanente's commitment to advancing community health and equitable access to healthcare services.

Future Prospects

With demographic shifts leading to an increase in the elderly population, innovative approaches to care delivery are essential for addressing the diverse needs of older adults.

Recently, MyPlace Health, an integrated delivery organization jointly backed by SCAN Group and the Commonwealth Care Alliance, opened its first care center.

The care delivery organization is built on the PACE, and offers free and low-cost care services. 

The first center is located in the 95 ZIP code, near downtown Los Angeles, and can reach more than 17,000 PACE-eligible seniors.