Ohio nursing facilities should take a close look at their latest Five-Star preview reports in iQIES. CMS said the April 2026 preview reports became available April 22, and the public Nursing Home Care Compare refresh is scheduled for on or around April 29. That gives providers a narrow window to review ratings data before it appears publicly.
At the same time, CMS is reminding providers and vendors that PBJ fileSpecVersion 4.10.0 is now required for all submissions. Older versions are no longer accepted, and the updated standard enforces a 22.5-hour daily cap per employee ID. CMS also urged facilities to submit early ahead of the May 15 PBJ deadline so they have time to review validation reports and correct any errors. For Ohio nonprofit providers, this is an immediate operational check on both public reporting and staffing data accuracy.