PBJ News Topic

Latest PBJ News

Staffing lawsuits increase scrutiny on employment levels & wages

July 1, 2026

Our Take: Multiple lawsuits all turn on the same underlying evidence: payroll-based journal hours, timecards, and staffing schedules submitted to CMS. Regulators and plaintiffs’ attorneys are increasingly treating staffing data as the central…

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New US DOL joint employer rule impacts senior care

June 26, 2026

Our Take: The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a new joint employer rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the FMLA, and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act to replace a…

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SCOTUS Upholds Administration’s Decision to Strip TPS From Haitian & Syrian Immigrants

June 25, 2026

Our Take: The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal courts cannot block the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitian and 6,100 Syrian immigrants. The ruling closed off pending…

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NJ SNF sues CMS over PBJ audits, citing no appeal rights

April 22, 2026

Our Take: A New Jersey skilled nursing facility filed a federal lawsuit on April 21, 2026, alleging that CMS exceeded its statutory authority by immediately downgrading its Five-Star Quality Rating after a Payroll…

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Minnesota SNF wage floor implementation delayed as CMS review restarts and provider associations file federal lawsuit

April 9, 2026

Our Take: Minnesota’s Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board was created in 2023 to set binding wage floors and working conditions for SNF staff. Planned minimum wages of $19/hour were delayed by several setbacks…

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New York minimum staffing mandate journeys through workforce shortages, enforcement, and legal challenges

April 8, 2026

Our Take: New York’s 3.5-hour minimum staffing requirement has progressed from contested legislation to active penalty assessment. State fines of up to $2,000 per day are being levied against noncompliant facilities – even…

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Medical Director compliance under increasing federal and state scrutiny

February 23, 2026

Our Take: Federal regulators and state lawmakers are intensifying scrutiny of SNF medical directors. OIG is actively reviewing whether PBJ-reported hours reflect actual engagement and whether existing oversight is sufficient. A Maryland bill…

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Virginia tries again for a state staffing minimum

February 17, 2026

Our Take: Virginia has spent more than two years trying to establish nursing home minimum staffing standards. New legislation seeks a phased-in requirement of 3.08–3.25 hours of nurse staffing per resident per day.…

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SNF benchmarking report points to value based care, Medicare Advantage, and PBJ scrutiny

January 30, 2026

Our Take: Plante Moran’s 2025 SNF Benchmarking Report analyzes data from over 12,000 skilled nursing facilities. They highlighted trends in Medicare Advantage enrollment, value-based purchasing, I-SNPs, and labor costs that are reshaping reimbursement…

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PBJ data driving increased scrutiny of nursing home staffing

November 1, 2025

Our Take: A growing ecosystem of tools and research are used by external stakeholders to evaluate nursing home staffing. Some recent uses include a new publicly available PBJ dashboard, updated U.S. News nursing…

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PBJ News Topics

Read about PBJ regulations, research & news impacting SNFs

Most Recent PBJ News

PBJ Reporting Moving to iQIES System

June 30, 2026

PBJ Policy & Enforcement

Our Take: CMS is retiring “QIES,” its first PBJ submission system. Starting August 17, 2026, all staffing data…

New US DOL joint employer rule impacts senior care

June 26, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a new joint employer rule under the Fair Labor Standards…

SCOTUS Upholds Administration’s Decision to Strip TPS From Haitian & Syrian Immigrants

June 25, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal courts cannot block the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary…

OIG Audit Finds CMS’s PBJ Oversight Fell Short: 5% of RN Staffing Hours Unsupported

June 18, 2026

Our Take: A new HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit found that CMS was not effective in…

Tort Immunity and Nursing Home Staffing

June 1, 2026

PBJ Research & Analysis

Our Take: A study of 13,205 nursing homes found that states giving SNFs immunity from COVID-19 liability reduced…

Is minimum staffing at play in the mid-term elections?

May 20, 2026

Minimum Staffing Roundup

Our Take: Senate Democrats outlined plans to revive nursing home staffing standards, expand Medicare-covered home care, and tighten…

NJ SNF sues CMS over PBJ audits, citing no appeal rights

April 22, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: A New Jersey skilled nursing facility filed a federal lawsuit on April 21, 2026, alleging that…

Invisible staffing churn in nursing homes: CMS turnover metrics miss a growing short-term workforce

April 18, 2026

PBJ Research & Analysis

Our Take: A Health Affairs Scholar study found that CMS’ turnover metric is likely understating real facility churn…

SNF pay rate proposals bring heightened CMS enforcement

April 10, 2026

PBJ Policy & Enforcement

Our Take: CMS has proposed a 2.4% Medicare rate increase for SNFs in FY 2027 while simultaneously expanding…

Minnesota SNF wage floor implementation delayed as CMS review restarts and provider associations file federal lawsuit

April 9, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: Minnesota’s Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board was created in 2023 to set binding wage floors and…

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