PBJ Library Archives

Become a PBJ policy expert while browsing the archives of payroll-based journal regulations and rule-making. Research the changes in PBJ reporting & understand how skilled nursing facilities report PBJ staffing data.

Five Star Technical Users' Guides

CMS publishes a listing of all skilled nursing facilities and their Five Star ratings on its public Care Compare website.

The Five-Star Technical User’s Guide describes the methods CMS uses to compute the overall Five Star rating as well as the Five Star ratings for Staffing, Quality and Inspections.

View Technical Users' Guides

QSO Policy Memorandums

CMS communicates major policy changes and updates through letters and memorandums sent to State Survey Agencies from its Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, Safety & Oversight (QSO) Group.

PBJ-specific QSO memos outline program goals, staffing requirements, enforcement efforts and use of PBJ data.

View QSO Memo Archives

Payroll-Based Journal Policy Manuals

The PBJ Policy Manual outlines how skilled nursing facilities must report quarterly staffing levels.  Facilities must provide detailed information on employee identifiers, date worked, hours to be included, and unique job title and pay type codes.

The most recent PBJ Policy Manual is version 2.6, published in June 2022.

View PBJ Policy Manual Archives

Provider Resources

CMS provides PBJ guides, spreadsheets, instructions, and online software tools to help skilled nursing providers and their vendors comply with PBJ reporting requirements.

This resource hub includes important, current links to CMS’ essential PBJ tools.

View Provider Resource Hub

Studies of PBJ Data

PBJ data is frequently used by researchers to analyze nursing home staffing in the U.S.  Countless academic research studies and media analysis of PBJ data continues to make headlines and influence policy makers.

Review PBJ Central’s archives of the latest PBJ research studies & its media coverage.

View Research Studies of PBJ Data