Close up image of a caretaker helping older woman walk

Officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be hosting a monthly Skilled Nursing/LTC Open Door Forum a week from Thursday (Oct. 20) — not on Oct. 13, as originally announced. It promises to be anything but a run-of-the-mill provider conference call.

With less than three weeks’ experience under the new MDS 3.0 and prospective payment systems, providers are expected to hit officials with an avalanche of questions on these topics. Officials also will make announcements and clarifications on other issues. Open Door Forums are free and open to the public. Participants need to dial (800) 837-1935 and use conference ID 83526194 to register. Organizers advise calling in about 15 minutes before the 2 p.m. (Eastern) start time. For more info, visit this CMS web page.