CMS Staffing Data Submission
Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act, enacted on March 23, 2010, amended section 1128(I) of the Act to incorporate specific provisions pertaining to the collection of staffing data for long term care facilities[1]. Section 1128(I)(g) of the Act will require nursing homes to electronically submit direct care staffing information, including information with respect to agency and contract staff based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data in a uniform format.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reporting specifications require detailed information about the work employees perform, as well as demographic human resource data. In addition, resident census data must also be reported. This electronic data collection program is called the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ). The frequency of data submission will be quarterly. The voluntary submission period for testing began on October 1st, 2015, and mandatory reporting is scheduled to start on July 1st, 2016.
