The November 14, 2020 reporting deadline marked a return to mostly normal PBJ operations.
The Five-Star staffing domain was frozen at Q1 2020 levels, with facilities that received automatic one-star downgrades receiving temporary rating suppression rather than a penalty.
QSO 20-34-NH – June 25, 2020
QSO-20-28-NH – April 24, 2020
Technical Users’ Guide – July 2020
Technical Users’ Guide – April 2020
Emergency Blanket Waivers
Tips for the PBJ Pro — Get Ready for the Nov. 14 Deadline!
Even Dr. Seuss’ Sneetches would understandably be confused about their stars!
Stars for Q1 but not for Q2.
The stars for Q3 will soon post as new.
What about the stars for Q4?
We do so hope that quarter shows more.So what exactly is posted in Nursing Home Compare?…
— SimpleLTC, October 14, 2020
CMS UPDATE: Q2 2020 Optional PBJ Data Due November 14
New Q2 Deadline: CMS has established November 14, 2020 as the new deadline for the Q2 2020 data. Historically, Q2 2020 data is due May 15th. Q2 encompasses January 1 – March 31, 2020. Facilities are encouraged to submit data promptly as this new deadline falls on the same day as the Q4 2020 deadline.
— SimpleLTC, September 23, 2020
Tips for the PBJ Pro: PBJ Reporting Is Back on Track
After a bumpy three-month ride, PBJ reporting is back on track for the quarter. In late March, CMS issued a staffing data submission waiver due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. On June 25, that waiver ended – which means PBJ reporting requirements for the quarter are back in effect.
— SimpleLTC, July 21, 2020
Beyond withdrawal of the waiver related PBJ data as discussed above, commentators discussing the future of CMS’s COVID-19 waivers have also speculated on the possibility of a forthcoming withdrawal of certain COVID-19 blanket waivers. Among waivers that may receive scrutiny, those related to staffing (e.g., CNA certification requirements), MDS reporting, and facility QAPI programs in particular, since they are not directly tied to infection control protocol, may receive further attention from regulators. Providers should continue to monitor for such changes in the coming weeks and months.
— Hancock Daniel, July 6, 2020
CMS Announces Changes to 5-Star Rating System; End of Staffing Submission Waiver
The next scheduled update for this domain, July 2020, would rely on data collected for calendar quarter 1 2020 (January – March), the submission of which was waived. As a result, the staffing domain measures and ratings for the July update will be held constant.
CMS notes that holding this domain constant denies providers the resolution of penalties, such as the automatic downgrade to a one-star rating that a provider receives when they fail to submit data or when they report more than 4 days in a quarter with no RN on site. For providers in this circumstance, the measures and ratings for the staffing domain will be suppressed with the July update.
— LeadingAge, June 26, 2020
CMS also decided NOT to require the submission of January–March 2020 staffing data for PBJ reporting, a change from earlier statements.
CMS noted that because of the waiver, approximately 40 percent of facilities did not report staffing data. The agency therefore would not be able to update the PBJ staffing measures and staffing star ratings in their regularly scheduled July release. This means staffing ratings will be held constant using October–December 2019 data.
— SimpleLTC, June 26, 2020
CMS Orders Nursing Homes to Resume Reporting Staffing Data as COVID-19 Waiver Expires
Nursing homes must resume the submission of staffing data to the federal government later this summer after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allowed an emergency COVID-19 waiver to expire.
CMS on Thursday announced that facilities must report their payroll-based journal (PBJ) staffing data for the second quarter of 2020 by August 14, ending a temporary suspension of the requirement.
— Skilled Nursing News, June 25, 2020
CMS Offers New Updates on COVID-19 Impact on Nursing Home Compare, Five-Star
CMS said it will temporarily hold constant the inspection domain of Five-Star to prevent an unequal impact on the rating for those facilities that receive a survey during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. This freeze will begin with the scheduled Nursing Home Compare update on April 29, 2020.
CMS will post the results of any health inspections conducted on or after March 4, 2020, on the landing page of Nursing Home Compare, but they will not be used to calculate a center’s Five-Star inspection rating, the agency said.
— Provider Magazine, April 28, 2020
CMS to Use Staffing Data to Assess PPE Needs; Freezes Star Ratings
Providers’ staffing totals will be used to address their personal protective equipment needs during the coronavirus pandemic. CMS announced the moves late Friday afternoon, explaining that it will be publishing a list of the average number of staff members onsite at facilities each day.
CMS memo also announced a freeze to the inspection domain of nursing homes’ current star ratings on the Nursing Home Compare website following the suspension of certain survey inspections during the coronavirus pandemic.
— McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, April 27, 2020
CMS Releases Nursing Home Staffing, Census Data to Help States Make PPE and Testing Decisions
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday released a public database of staffing and resident counts for nearly 15,000 nursing homes, with the goal of potentially helping states make more informed decisions about the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Skilled Nursing News, April 24, 2020
Things to Remember When Submitting PBJ Data
…due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS is waiving the deadline to report the 2020 Fiscal Quarter 2 PBJ data (Jan 1-March 31) by May 15. CMS will provide further information as soon as possible but are encouraging facilities to still report data as they are able. There will be no penalties or negative impacts to staffing ratings for not submitting by May 15
— McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, April 23, 2020
