In what would be a big policy change, the federal government is asking physicians whether their Medicare reimbursement should  depend partly on accepting new Medicaid patients or participating in provider networks of health plans through Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges.

Medscape reports that a request for information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services “proposes additional subcategories of clinical practice improvement activities that extend beyond the usual bounds of the Medicare program. One possible subcategory is called ‘promoting health equity and continuity.’ CMS said credit-earning activities under this umbrella could include:

• “Serving Medicaid beneficiaries, including those also eligible for Medicare.
• “Accepting new Medicaid beneficiaries.
• “Participating in the provider network of an ACA health plan.
• “Maintaining wheelchairs and similar equipment for patients with disabilities.”