Payroll Based Journal Reporting (PBJ)

PBJ Reporting

The staffing processes of skilled nursing facilities are on the brink of a major upheaval. With a focus on transparency and accuracy of staffing information, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will soon be requiring all nursing facilities to submit staffing information electronically.

CMS has instituted a system for providers to electronically submit their staffing information known as the “Payroll-Based Journal” (PBJ). As of Oct. 1, 2015, CMS has begun collecting this information on a voluntary basis, and mandated that all skilled nursing facilities start collecting staffing information starting July 1, 2016. Providers will be required to submit their staffing and census data quarterly. They will have 45 days after the last day in each fiscal quarter to submit.

In accordance with Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) facilities are required to electronically submit staffing information to drive accountability and consistency in reporting throughout the industry. Total direct care hours worked (including agency and contract staff), employee hire and termination date, and facility census must be included. This information will be used to report the level of staff (hours per patient day) plus employee tenure, retention and turnover – all of which have been found to impact the level of care provided to residents.

5 Steps to Get Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Ready

1. Identify & Classify All Direct Care Staff
2. Assign CMS Job Codes
3. Know What Counts, What Doesn’t
4. Institute Proper Checks & Balances
5. Be Proactive

Attendance on Demand & Attendance Enterprise will meet PBJ’s technical specifications for successful submission for data upload. As a registered vendor with CMS, Attendance on Demand & Attendance Enterprise automatically collects the required reporting information and meets the PBJ’s technical specifications for successful submission. It produces the formatted upload file, which includes:

• Employee ID
• Hire Date
• Termination Date
• Work Type
• Pay Type
• Hours Worked
• Job Title and Labor Category Code