CMS has announced that the Payroll-Based Journal, or PBJ, system will move into iQIES on August 17, 2026.

PBJ reporting requirements and quarterly submission deadlines are not changing, but the system used to submit PBJ data will change. Beginning August 17, 2026, PBJ submissions will move from the current QIES-based process into iQIES.

iQIES stands for the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System. It is the secure CMS system used to collect and manage quality and compliance information across several provider settings.

In practical terms, iQIES is the CMS system skilled nursing facilities already use for MDS-related workflows. Beginning August 17, 2026, it will also be used for PBJ staffing data submissions.

All skilled nursing facilities should begin preparing for the PBJ move to iQIES.

Here are a few steps to consider now:

• Identify who manages iQIES access for your facility or organization.
• Confirm who holds the Provider Security Official, or PSO, role for your facility.
• Make sure the appropriate users have active HARP accounts.
• Review which PBJ roles may be needed in iQIES, including:
  • Provider Security Official, or PSO
  • PBJ Submitter
  • Provider Administrator
  • PBJ Viewer
• Watch for CMS, QTSO or vendor communication about the transition.
• Plan ahead so your team is ready before the November 2026 PBJ submission deadline.

Good news: the SimplePBJ team is already preparing for the new iQIES submission and reporting requirements.

Today, SimplePBJ manages the connection to CMS for PBJ submission. Once the iQIES migration is complete and the required access steps have been approved, SimplePBJ clients will continue to log in to SimplePBJ and submit PBJ files through their usual workflow.

Due to iQIES system requirements, skilled nursing facilities will need to approve access requests in iQIES for SimplePBJ accounts. More on that below.

In summary:

• SimplePBJ will manage the technical updates needed to meet iQIES requirements.
• SimplePBJ clients will need to approve iQIES access requests for their facility.
• Once the required access has been approved, SimplePBJ users will continue submitting PBJ files through SimplePBJ.

iQIES uses a different access process than the current PBJ system, and in some ways, it may be easier to manage.

Each facility has a designated Provider Security Official, or PSO. The PSO is responsible for approving or rejecting iQIES access requests for that facility.

The PSO may be someone at the facility, or it may be a regional or corporate team member who manages access for multiple facilities.

iQIES access is managed through HARP accounts. HARP accounts are used to sign in to iQIES, and specific HARP users may be assigned the PSO role.

For SimplePBJ clients, the key first step is identifying who holds the PSO role for your facility or facilities so your organization is prepared to approve the necessary SimplePBJ access requests.

The SimplePBJ team will guide clients through the iQIES access process.

Because this transition involves many facilities and access requests, SimplePBJ will manage the process in phases. This staggered approach will help support an accurate, organized transition with CMS.

Over the next one to two months, please watch for communication from the Simple team. If you are listed as the PSO for your facility, you may also see pending approval requests from CMS.

Here are a few steps to take now:

• Identify who holds the Provider Security Official, or PSO, role for your facility or facilities.
  • This will be a HARP user account.
  • It will most likely be someone with administrative responsibilities or someone connected to the MDS process.
• If a HARP account already exists, great. SimplePBJ can send the appropriate access requests to that account.
• If a HARP account does not exist, one can be created through the CMS HARP registration portal.
• Keep an eye out for communication from the Simple team over the next one to two months.
• Respond to access approval requests as soon as possible. Completing these steps is important for continued PBJ submission through SimplePBJ after the iQIES transition.

The good news is that this migration does not impact the upcoming August 14, 2026 PBJ submission deadline.

• Facilities should continue using the current PBJ system for the April 1–June 30, 2026 reporting period.
• That data is due by Friday, August 14, 2026.
• Beginning August 17, 2026, PBJ submissions will move to iQIES.
• For SimplePBJ clients, completing the required iQIES access approval steps will be important for continued PBJ submission through SimplePBJ, including the November 2026 submission deadline and future reporting periods.