CMS released a message to nursing home providers with answers to your most frequently asked questions about payroll based journaling. View the message from CMS:
We understand providers have had questions regarding submitted their data into the PBJ system. With the deadline for submission almost upon us, we felt it would be beneficial to send out an email addressing some of the more frequently asked questions to help facilitate the process for you.
1. System Access
We acknowledge that the large number of provider submissions as we near the submission deadline has exceeded the amount of planned network capacity and has resulted in high network utilization which is subsequently causing slowed system response times as well as an inability to access the system for some users. We encourage users to pull down their validation reports during off peak times to relieve system congestion and allow more bandwidth for data submissions and less user frustration. Note that we are extending our QTSO Help Desk hours to include support from 8am to 5pm EST both Saturday November 12th and Sunday November 13th.
2. Deadline for Submission
CMS will accept data submission past the deadline and will not impose penalties for providers that have not met the deadline at this time. However, we expect providers to still make a good faith effort to submit data as soon as possible for Fiscal Year 2016 Q4 (July 1 – September 30, 2016).
3. Facility IDs
We understand several providers are confused about what number to use when PBJ asks for the Facility ID (FAC_ID). The list of FAC_IDs can be found by logging on to CMSNet, clicking “QIES Systems for Providers” and then under “PBJ Submissions” click “Look Up Facility ID”.
4. Hire/Rehire Dates
For questions related to entering the hire and rehire dates for employees, please see Section 8.4 (“Manual Data Entry and XML Submission Rehire Process”) of the PBJ User Manual.
5. Saving and Submitting Data
We are aware that some facilities may be confused on the use of the “save” button in the PBJ system. The save button is the same as submitting your data. Additionally, you can save and submit as often as you’d like throughout the quarter, such as every two weeks, and you can always go back and edit your data for previous weeks. Do not wait until the end of the quarter to save and submit. CMS will not collect any files until after November 14th.
6. CMS 671 Form and PBJ Submission Discrepancies
We are aware that some providers are concerned that PBJ data will be compared to the information submitted on their CMS-671 form. We acknowledge that there are differences between how staffing data is submitted in comparing the instructions and policies of PBJ and the CMS-671, and they cover very different time frames. Therefore, in general, we do not expect PBJ data to match the data from the CMS-671.
Additional Resources:
Send Policy Questions to NHStaffing@cms.hhs.gov
Send Technical Issues/Questions to NursingHomePBJTechIssues@cms.hhs.gov
Contact the QTSO Help Desk at (877) 201-4721 or help@qtso.com
PBJ Website
