PBJ Requirements for Nursing Facilities Continue to Demand Attention

While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have provided an updated manual (Version 2.1) for implementing their payroll-based journal (PBJ) ruling, nursing facilities have questions on certain situations that were given minimal guidance. For instance, specific PBJ reporting programs for time and attendance and payroll systems may not be available or efficient to properly create the files needed to upload to the CMS PBJ entry tool. Similarly, therapy and other outsourced care providers have struggled to create tools that will automate the proper reporting of their time to their nursing customers. These situations have left nursing facilities uncomfortable about meeting the PBJ requirements.