You know how to get your PBJ data ready. But do you know what needs to change now that CMS has moved the submission process to iQIES?
For skilled nursing payroll teams, that’s the challenge heading into the November 14 deadline. CMS’s PBJ reporting requirements and quarterly deadlines haven’t changed, but the system, access requirements, user roles, validation process, and final submission workflow have. That leaves payroll leaders with a practical question: What do we need to do differently to make sure our next PBJ submission goes through without a hitch?
As of August 17, 2026, all PBJ submissions must go through iQIES. With Q4 data due November 14, here’s what payroll leaders need to know before their first full quarterly submission through the new system.
PBJ has officially moved to iQIES
CMS outlined the transition in its July 14, 2026 memo, QSO-26-12-NH: Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) Transition to iQIES.
The transition began before iQIES officially opened for PBJ submissions. CMS stopped accepting Fiscal Quarter 4 PBJ submissions in QIES beginning July 1, creating a temporary blackout period in which Q4 data could not be submitted through either QIES or iQIES. That period ended when PBJ functionality became available in iQIES on August 17.
Now, all Q4 PBJ submissions must go through iQIES.
CMS has also made the old PBJ system in QIES read-only. Facilities can no longer submit PBJ files or save manual changes there, and CMS is retiring PBJ in QIES completely on September 15.
There are some important reporting nuances during the transition. CMS has archived QIES PBJ CASPER reports with limited exceptions, including continued temporary access to the PBJ Submitter Final File Validation Report for submissions previously made through QIES. CMS provides more information about accessing previous submissions and reports on its PBJ Staffing Data Submission page.
What payroll teams need to do now
While the submission platform has changed, CMS has confirmed that existing PBJ policy requirements and quarterly deadlines remain the same.
One validation change is worth noting: iQIES now prevents a System Employee ID, including linked Employee IDs for the same individual, from reporting more than 22.5 hours in a single day.
The first step is making sure everyone responsible for PBJ reporting can access the new system. Each user needs a HARP account, access to iQIES, the appropriate PBJ role, and approval from the facility’s Provider Security Official (PSO).
For Q4, which covers July 1 through September 30, PBJ data must be submitted and accepted by CMS by November 14, 2026.
That means payroll teams shouldn’t wait until the deadline to upload their files. CMS may identify errors that need to be corrected before the submission is accepted, so give your team enough time to review the results, make any necessary corrections, and resubmit before November 14.
Why the November 14 deadline matters
PBJ data plays an important role in how CMS evaluates and publicly reports nursing home staffing.
CMS uses PBJ data to calculate staffing measures within the Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System. Only PBJ data submitted and accepted by the deadline is used in CMS staffing calculations. Under CMS’s current Five-Star methodology, providers that fail to submit any staffing data by the required deadline receive a one-star staffing rating for that quarter.
And that’s an important distinction: your staffing data itself may be accurate, but you’ll still run into trouble if the file isn’t successfully submitted and accepted on time. That’s why it’s worth making sure your team has the right system access and enough time to validate the data and confirm the submission went through.
For payroll leaders, the move to iQIES is about more than getting familiar with a new system. It’s about making sure the change doesn’t create problems in a PBJ process your team already has under control.
Simplify PBJ reporting with payroll built for skilled nursing
While iQIES changes how facilities submit PBJ data, much of the work still happens long before submission. Payroll teams need to manage staffing hours, job classifications, pay types, and other details that ultimately feed into PBJ reporting.
That’s where having payroll built specifically for healthcare can help. It’s designed around the way skilled nursing facilities actually operate, helping teams manage complex staffing and pay requirements while keeping the payroll data used for PBJ reporting in one place.
With a stronger connection between day-to-day payroll and PBJ reporting, teams can spend less time pulling information together and have a clearer view of the data they’re preparing to send to CMS.
Be ready for November 14
For many skilled nursing payroll teams, the first full quarterly submission through iQIES will be the real test of the new process.
For Q4, which covers July 1 through September 30, PBJ data must be submitted by November 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. Because November 14 falls on a Saturday this year, facilities should plan to complete their submission and validation well before the weekend.
Before November 14, make sure the right team members can access iQIES, review your PBJ data for potential issues, and leave enough time to make corrections if needed.
Empeon’s Intelligent PBJ Dashboard can help with that process by checking your staffing data against CMS rules and flagging potential issues for review. Teams can review exceptions, document overrides, and generate the final PBJ file using data directly from Empeon timecards.
Want to see how Empeon’s healthcare payroll and Intelligent PBJ Dashboard can support your skilled nursing team? Reach out to book a demo and learn more.
