Facilities must set up a HARP account, request iQIES access, and get their Provider Security Official’s approval before then, or risk missing the November 14 deadline for Q4 (July–September) staffing data. There’s no way to submit Q4 data (July to Sept) in either system for the six weeks (July 1–August 16)
Correction: iQIES PBJ Launch Announcement
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is excited to share that the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system will move into iQIES on August 17, 2026. iQIES is a secure, cloud‑based system that CMS uses to collect and manage quality and compliance information. Moving PBJ into iQIES is part of ongoing work to modernize systems and improve security. Starting August 17, 2026, you must submit all PBJ staffing data in iQIES. Your reporting requirements and quarterly deadlines will not change.
— QIES Technical Support Office, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, June 10, 202
United States, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Correction: iQIES PBJ Launch Announcement.” QIES Technical Support Office, 10 June 2026, qtso.cms.gov/news-and-updates/correction-iqies-pbj-launch-announcement.
What to Expect: PBJ Data Submission and Reporting in iQIES
After August 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, QIES will no longer accept PBJ submissions. Beginning August 17, 2026, PBJ submissions for Quarter 4 must be submitted through iQIES. PBJ submissions for Quarter 4 will not be accepted in QIES or iQIES from July 1, 2026, through August 16, 2026.
— American Health Care Association, July 7, 2026
What to Expect: PBJ Data Submission and Reporting in iQIES
You can securely access iQIES anytime, anywhere within the US, with internet. You only need to log in once, no more using CMSNet and separate systems. iQIES includes tips and guidance to help you upload PBJ files and access reports. You can upload PBJ files in a way that’s very similar to QIES, so the process should feel familiar. Once you register for an iQIES account, be sure to log in regularly. If you do not log in for 60 days, you’ll lose access to iQIES.
— QIES Technical Support Office, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, June 30, 2026
Providers will use the current PBJ system for the Quarter 3 reporting period (April 1–June 30, 2026), with submissions due by August 14, 2026. PBJ submission for the Quarter 4 reporting period (July 1–September 30, 2026) is due November 14, 2026, and will be submitted via iQIES. PBJ reporting requirements or quarterly submission deadlines remain the same.
— American Health Care Association, June 15, 2026
CMS Announces PBJ Will Move Into iQIES in August 2026
Good news! No immediate action is required for SimplePBJ users for the Aug. 14 submission deadline (staffing data for April through June 2026). However, SimplePBJ subscribers will be required to complete additional linking steps to connect Simple in iQIES in order to submit their July through September 2026 staffing data (submission deadline of Nov. 14, 2026) and for all staffing data in the foreseeable future.
— Simple, a Netsmart solution, June 10, 2026
