Free PBJ tool
Check your PBJ XML before iQIES does.
Drop in the XML file you plan to submit. See schema and staffing-hour errors in plain language, with the employee and date for each one.
What the checker looks for
These are the same record rules EasyPBJ applies before it creates a filing, plus the structure the CMS schema requires.
- File structure
- Well-formed XML, the nursingHomeData layout, required fields, field order, and fileSpecVersion 4.10.0 from the CMS schema.
- Header
- Facility ID, two-letter state code, federal fiscal quarter and year, and the merge or replace process type.
- Hours
- Non-numeric, negative, or zero hours, more than two decimals, single entries over 22.5 hours, and daily totals over 22.5 hours (CMS edit -1025).
- Codes and dates
- Job title codes 1 to 40, pay type codes 1 to 3, real calendar dates, and work dates inside the reporting quarter.
- Employees
- Employee ID format, hire and termination dates, duplicate records, and hours for IDs with no employee record in the file.
It cannot tell whether hours are right for your facility, such as a meal break removed twice or a missing agency file. Those need your source records. The PBJ error and review checklist covers them, and the iQIES submission guide explains the CMS validation report.
Common questions
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The checker runs in your browser on this device. The file contents are not sent to EasyPBJ or stored, and no account is needed.
If the checker finds no errors, will iQIES accept my file?
Not necessarily. iQIES also checks things this page cannot see, such as whether the facility ID matches your iQIES access and employee records from earlier submissions. Always review the CMS final validation report after you upload.
Which file specification does it use?
The CMS PBJ XML specification 4.10.0, the same schema EasyPBJ exports against. A file with a different fileSpecVersion is flagged.
What if my file came from another PBJ product?
That works. The checker reads any PBJ XML file, whichever software produced it. Fix errors in the system that created the file, then export and check again.