Delay of Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Sought

LeadingAge has written a letter to CMS to formally request a delay of the July 1, 2016 implementation of the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ). While supportive of the utilization of payroll data, as the basis for reporting and calculating accurate staffing in nursing homes, LeadingAge raises a number of concerns with regard to how information is collected and interpreted under PBJ. 

Among the issues noted in the letter are the requirements to report Hours Worked vs Hours Paid as it relates to exempt salaried personnel; Labor and Job Codes where employees may divide their time under different roles or functions; Contract Staff and the need to account and track individual contract staff; Reporting of Resident Census the last day of each month, even though there may have been fluctuations in census due to short-stay rehabilitation and admissions and discharges; and lastly, the limited time for testing of systems provided in the Voluntary Submission and Testing period.

LeadingAge has requested that CMS consider a delay in implementation of PBJ, pending resolution of the concerns raised in the letter.

LeadingAge New York would like to hear from members, as to their experiences during the voluntary submission phase and whether they have encountered any additional problems that were not addressed in the LeadingAge letter.

Contact: Elliott Frost, efrost@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8832