PBJ Data Due Feb. 14th
Nursing homes must finalize Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) data covering Oct. 1st through Dec. 31, 2023 by Feb. 14th. PBJ data are used to monitor compliance with State staffing level requirements. Data submission times mark good opportunities for providers to verify that their PBJ reporting systems are sound, ensure that they submit a linking file in advance of any changes to employee ID numbers, and double-check that discharge assessments are being filed in a timely manner to ensure that the Minimum Data Set (MDS)-based daily census that is used in computing staffing levels is not overstated. An overstated census artificially decreases staffing levels, putting a facility at risk of a lower star rating and potentially causing it to be out of compliance with staffing requirements.
Starting in April 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) will change how missing data are considered when calculating staff turnover. The new approach will have a lasting negative impact on a facility’s Five-Star calculation if data are not submitted. Providers will receive the lowest possible score on their staffing turnover measures if data for one of the six quarters used in the calculation are missing.
The PBJ Policy Manual, along with related resources including a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), can be downloaded at the bottom of the dedicated CMS PBJ webpage here. Information from CMS describing the various PBJ reports that providers may access, including general and detailed MDS census reports that should be used to verify that discharged residents are not reflected in the census, is available here. Providers are urged to submit data and run and review the various reports with sufficient time to make any necessary corrections prior to the final due date.
Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841