COB redaction is the removal of IDs from a coordination-of-benefits record, where a person holds two policies. It meets DPA 2018 & UK GDPR. anonym.plus works locally and keeps the order-of-payment logic intact.
When this applies
A dual-coverage record names the patient and lists two insurers, each with its own membership number. To audit the payment order, clear every ID first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Load the record into anonym.plus on your device.
- It finds the patient and both sets of insurer IDs.
- Each membership number gets flagged as its own item.
- Keep the primary and secondary payment order.
- Swap or black out the confirmed IDs.
- Save the clean copy on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The record (PDF, DOCX, or insurer export).
- An operator (Redact for slim audit copies).
- Optional alias map so each insurer maps cleanly.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Patient Sara Volk → [PATIENT] |
| Primary ID | UK_HEALTH_INSURANCE_MEMBER | Pri BUP-881102 → [PRIMARY_ID] |
| Secondary ID | UK_HEALTH_INSURANCE_MEMBER | Sec AXA-449920 → [SECONDARY_ID] |
| Account | ACCOUNT_NUMBER | Acct 7741 → [ACCOUNT] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | Treatment 02/14 → [DATE] |
| NI number | UK_NINO | QQ 12 34 56 C → [ID] |
Compliance achieved
- Meets DPA 2018 & UK GDPR for reuse of health data.
- Catches both insurers’ membership numbers as separate identifiers.
- Keeps the order-of-payment logic for audit.
- Offline work keeps the record within your organisation.
Anonymise COB records offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
Dual coverage doubles the IDs. Check that both insurers’ numbers are mapped, since a missed secondary ID can still name the person. The payment-order logic stays and is not treated as an identifier.
Frequently asked questions
Why do COB records carry extra IDs?
A person holds two policies, so the file lists a primary and a secondary membership number. Both are identifiers and both are flagged.
Does the payment order survive redaction?
Yes. The primary and secondary order stays, so the record is still useful for audit.
Can the two insurers stay distinct after the swap?
Yes. An alias map keeps each insurer under its own steady label.