Nursing Home PBJ Submissions Due Aug. 14th
(July 29, 2025) Nursing homes must finalize their Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) staffing data reporting covering April, May, and June 2025 by Aug. 14th. In addition to informing the Five-Star Quality Rating System, PBJ data are used to monitor compliance with State staffing level requirements. We encourage members to double-check their submissions for accuracy and submit with sufficient time to allow review of the reports the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) makes available and for resolution of any technical issues. Note that missing or questionable data increase the likelihood of a PBJ audit. Submissions after the established deadline will not be accepted, regardless of the reason for late submission.
A missing or erroneous report can have a lasting negative impact on a facility’s Five-Star calculation. Not only will it result in a one-star rating for the staffing domain for one quarter, but the facility will receive the minimum number of points for staffing turnover, one of the measures used to determine the stars for the staffing domain, for six quarters if data needed to calculate turnover are missing or deemed inaccurate in a single PBJ submission.
The PBJ Policy Manual (updated in June of this year), along with related resources including a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (also updated in June), can be downloaded at the bottom of the dedicated CMS PBJ webpage here. An article highlighting the changes made in June is available here, and members can access a six-minute Quick Cast providing tips for successful PBJ submission here. Information from CMS describing the various PBJ validation reports that providers may access, including general and detailed Minimum Data Set (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 run and review the various reports (specifically the 1700 Employee Report, 1702D Individual Daily Staffing Report, 1702S Staffing Summary Report, and the MDS Census Report) in time to make any necessary corrections prior to the reporting deadline.
Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841