What payroll and scheduling systems do you work with?

We work with all major SNF systems including PointClickCare, MatrixCare, ADP, Paychex, OnShift, and SmartLinx. If your system can export data, we can work with it. We also handle facilities using multiple systems that need data consolidated.

How do PBJ errors affect our star rating?

PBJ data directly determines your CMS Five-Star staffing rating, which is one of the most heavily weighted components of your overall star rating. Errors like missing hours, incorrect job codes, or inaccurate census counts can understate your staffing levels, potentially dropping your rating by one or more stars.

What happens if we’ve already missed a PBJ deadline?

Contact us immediately. CMS allows a correction window for recent quarters, and we can help you prepare and submit corrected data. For current late submissions, we prioritize rapid turnaround to minimize penalty exposure and get you back into compliance.

Can you help us improve our star rating through better PBJ data?

Yes. Many facilities have star ratings that are lower than their actual staffing levels warrant, simply due to data errors. By cleaning up submissions and ensuring accurate reporting, we frequently help facilities recover one or more stars without changing their staffing at all.

How long does it take to get our PBJ submissions on track?

Most facilities are fully onboarded within 2-4 weeks. We start with a historical audit, correct what we can, and have your next quarterly submission fully managed. The entire process from first call to first managed submission typically takes one quarter.

What does ongoing PBJ compliance management cost?

Pricing depends on facility size and the number of payroll systems involved. Most single-facility engagements for ongoing quarterly management run between $1,500 and $4,000 per quarter. Given that a single CMS penalty can reach $10,000 per day, the investment pays for itself quickly.

Senior Care · PBJ Submissions & Compliance

PBJ reporting and Payroll-Based Journal compliance for SNFs

Inaccurate PBJ submissions silently damage your star ratings, trigger CMS penalties, and put reimbursement at risk. We make your data bulletproof, every quarter, on time, every time.

PBJ

Submissions

24-48hr

Screening

Survey

Readiness

Book a PBJ/survey call See background-check pricing

Facility operating layer

Facility compliance board

Live operating view

Filed

PBJ status

24-48hr

Screening

Visible

Survey gaps

PBJ validation

Payroll, schedule, census checks

Queued

Exclusion checks

OIG, SAM, LEIE, license lookups

Running

Retention plan

Onboarding, agency drag, manager follow-up

In play

Facility focus

Survey binder

Candidate queue

PBJ exceptions

DON follow-up

Built for skilled nursing, assisted living, and healthcare hiring pressure

Data validated before submission

Staffing data reconciled and validated, not submitted on a hope.

We reconcile PBJ data against your time-and-attendance system, validate against census and staffing ratios, and catch the errors that trigger audits before you submit.

Facility operating layer

Data validated before submission workstream

Live operating view

Filed

PBJ status

24-48hr

Screening

Visible

Survey gaps

PBJ validation

Payroll, schedule, census checks

Queued

Exclusion checks

OIG, SAM, LEIE, license lookups

Running

Retention plan

Onboarding, agency drag, manager follow-up

In play

Facility focus

Survey binder

Candidate queue

PBJ exceptions

DON follow-up

Built for skilled nursing, assisted living, and healthcare hiring pressure

Deadlines owned

Quarterly deadlines owned by one accountable operator.

PBJ quarter filings, CASPER reports, staff survey data, all on one calendar, one operator, one accountability chain. Not the DON or the HR manager trying to remember between survey cycles.

100%

On-Time Submissions

95%

Error Reduction

CMS Penalties

+1 Star

Avg. Rating Improvement

What we handle

PBJ Data Audit & Cleanup

We forensically review your historical PBJ submissions to identify and correct errors that may be suppressing your star rating.

Historical submission analysis across multiple quarters
Employee ID and job code reconciliation
Census data accuracy verification against MDS records
Contract and agency labor hour documentation review

Automated Submission Workflows

We build reliable data pipelines that eliminate manual aggregation and ensure clean submissions every quarter.

Payroll system integration and automated data extraction
Pre-submission validation against CMS error checks
Automated census reconciliation with PCC, PointClickCare, or MatrixCare
Submission tracking with confirmation and audit trail

Error Prevention & Quality Assurance

We implement proactive checks that catch problems before they reach CMS.

Real-time staffing data monitoring during each quarter
Monthly mini-audits to catch issues before submission deadlines
Job code mapping validation against CMS requirements
Overtime and agency hour classification verification

Ongoing Monitoring & Star Rating Optimization

We continuously monitor your PBJ data quality and proactively identify opportunities to improve your Five-Star staffing rating.

Quarterly submission management and CMS filing
Star rating trend analysis and improvement roadmap
Staffing ratio optimization against CMS thresholds
Annual PBJ compliance review and strategy session

How the engagement works

Data Audit

We pull your last four quarters of PBJ submissions and cross-reference against payroll, scheduling, and census records to identify every discrepancy, error, and missed opportunity.

Error Correction & Resubmission

For quarters still within the CMS correction window, we prepare and submit corrected data. For older quarters, we document findings to prevent the same errors going forward.

Submission Workflow Setup

We configure automated data extraction from your payroll and scheduling systems, build pre-submission validation checks, and establish a quarterly submission calendar with built-in review cycles.

Quarterly Review & Submission

Each quarter, we review your data, run validation checks, flag anomalies for your team to verify, and submit clean files to CMS on your behalf, well before the deadline.

Ongoing Monitoring & Optimization

Between submissions, we monitor staffing patterns, flag data quality issues in real time, and provide star rating impact projections so you can make informed staffing decisions.

Why facilities pick this

PBJ errors are the cheapest audit invite you can send.

A single PBJ discrepancy is an invitation for CMS to look closer at staffing ratios, incident rates, and survey history. We file PBJ right so you don’t volunteer yourself for the next investigation.

Operator vs. PBJ consultant

Part-time PBJ consultant

Submits whatever data the facility hands over
Calendar lives in a personal email inbox
Errors surface when CMS flags them
Disconnected from the staffing pipeline

King & Co.

Data validated against time-and-attendance
Submission deadlines owned end-to-end
Discrepancies caught before submission
Connected to HR, payroll, and screening, not a silo

Senior Care

Solving a 60% turnover crisis

High staff turnover was leading to reliance on expensive agency staffing, crushing margins and quality of care.

Read the case study

Need PBJ, survey, screening, or staffing drag owned?

Bring the back-office mess into one operating plan before it turns into agency spend, citation risk, or another leadership fire drill.

Book a PBJ/survey call See background-check pricing

PBJ Submissions & Compliance FAQs

Common questions about scope, fit, and how the engagement works.