The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) functionality in the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) on August 17, 2026. All PBJ staffing data must now be submitted through iQIES. Existing PBJ reporting requirements and quarterly submission deadlines remain unchanged.
What Providers Need to Know
- All PBJ staffing data must now be submitted through iQIES.
- PBJ reporting requirements and quarterly submission deadlines have not changed.
- Users must have an active HARP account and an approved PBJ role for each facility they access. Vendors must request access and obtain approval from the Provider Security Official (PSO) for each facility they represent. Users should log in regularly because iQIES access may be suspended after 60 consecutive days of inactivity.
- A new system edit limits reported hours to 22.5 hours per calendar day for each System Employee ID. Additional information about PBJ error messages is available on the QTSO iQIES Reference and Manuals webpage under iQIES Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Manuals.
- The legacy QIES PBJ system is read-only and will be retired on September 15, 2026. Read-only access is being maintained temporarily, so users can review or print submission IDs associated with files recently submitted through QIES. The CASPER PBJ Submitter Final Validation report will be available to run for submissions performed in QIES only for three months post-PBJ migration into iQIES.
- Providers should review the revised documents and update their internal procedures as needed.
Need Assistance?
For technical assistance, contact the iQIES Service Center: