Altarum Receives Grant from Michigan Health Endowment Fund to Build MediCaring Community in Huron Valley

ANN ARBOR, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Altarum Institute has received nearly $500,000 to build a program to
help older adults in the Huron Valley. The money is part of $13 million
dollars in grant
awards from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund (MHEF) to benefit the
health of Michigan’s children and seniors. Thirty-three separate
programs will receive grants ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.

Altarum’s Center
for Elder Care and Advanced Illness, which has developed the MediCaring
Communities, a model
for eldercare reform, will develop and test new strategies for
providing comprehensive services to all frail older adults in the
community, building on the clinical expertise of an established PACE (Program
for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program.

Many have pointed to PACE programs, such as Huron Valley PACE in
Ypsilanti, MI, as the best available care for older adults with
disabilities and ongoing medical conditions. PACE offers fully
comprehensive services, from doctors and medications through activities,
transportation, day center, and home care. Medicaid and Medicare cover
the cost of PACE services, but this project will greatly expand the
populations who can benefit from PACE. This partnership will offer tiers
of services for Medicare beneficiaries who can pay for long-term care,
and for those who cannot afford such services, yet cannot qualify for
Medicaid. Services will also be available to Medicaid beneficiaries who
have significant medical conditions, yet do not meet the current
level-of-care criteria for PACE.

“We are excited to provide this opportunity for older adults in the
Huron Valley PACE service area,” said Lincoln Smith, Altarum CEO. “This
grant from the Health Fund will demonstrate that there is a better way
to coordinate care, at a lower cost, and help more people who
desperately need local services.”

“The Health Fund is proud to support Altarum’s important work on behalf
of Michigan’s older residents,” said Health Fund Senior Program Officer
Kari Sederburg. “PACE is a proven program, and we’re excited to help
Altarum bring PACE benefits to more people.”

Rick Bluhm, Executive Director of Huron Valley PACE, added “We look
forward to expanding the Huron Valley PACE mission by extending needed
services to more people in our communities.”

The Health Fund was established to improve the health of Michigan
residents and reduce the cost of health care with special emphasis on
the health and wellness of children and seniors. The Health Fund was
created through the passage of Public Act 4 of 2013, which authorized
certain changes to how Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM)
operates in the state. For additional information about the Michigan
Health Endowment Fund, visit mhealthfund.com
or call 517-374-0031.

Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org)
integrates objective research and client-centered consulting skills to
deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and
health care. Altarum employs over 450 individuals and is headquartered
in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with additional offices in Portland, Maine, and
the Washington, D.C., area.

Contacts

Altarum Institute
Ken Schwartz, 202-772-5062
ken.schwartz@altarum.org