What to Expect from the 2026 COB Solution Data Refresh

The data refresh will remove outdated and stagnant data from the system, improve the accuracy of overlaps, and improve system performance.

To strengthen data quality and ensure only accurate, up to date information remains in the system, the following data will be permanently removed:

• Inactive or termed records that are three years old or older.
• All inquiries, inquiry documents, inquiry details, and overlap attached documents.
• Duplicate missing records.

All dates below are tentative and subject to change. Advance communication will be shared if any updates to the timeline are required.

• June 24: Data refresh begins; membership file processing paused
• June 25: Member Data Portal moves to read-only mode
• July 20: Member Data Portal returns to normal functionality; new files delivered

There will be approximately three weeks without a COB Return File. The Member Data Portal will be in read-only mode for approximately 25 days, from June 25 through July 20.

Additionally, the Member Data Portal will experience approximately three days of full system downtime, scheduled during overnight and weekend hours to minimize operational impact. Specific downtime dates have not been determined yet and will be communicated in advance once confirmed.

During the data refresh period, weekly membership file processing will be paused beginning June 24, as member records are removed and reprocessed. The Member Data Portal will move to read-only mode on June 25, during which time plans will not be able to submit overrides, overlap documents, inquiries, or group migrations. Member search functionality will remain available, displaying data as of the start of the refresh.

The Member Data Portal will return to normal functionality on July 20, at which time plans will receive refreshed COB data via a full COB Report. Once available, new overrides and inquiries can be submitted, and refreshed data will be accessible through the portal.

Plans may continue submitting their weekly files during the downtime; however, these files will not be processed until after the data refresh is complete.

The Member Data Portal will experience approximately three days of full system downtime, scheduled during overnight and weekend hours to minimize operational impact.

CAQH will provide ongoing email communications from now through the completion of the data refresh.

To support planning and ensure your questions are answered, we will also host a series of optional Product-led office hours. Each session includes a brief overview of the refresh, key dates, and time for your questions.

Upcoming Sessions:

1. Thursday, April 16: 1:00 - 1:30 PM ET
2. Thursday, May 21: 1:00 - 1:30 PM ET
3. Thursday, June 11: 1:00 - 1:30 PM ET

If you would like to be added to the session invite, please reach out to Jen Boza (JBoza@caqh.org). You are welcome to attend any or all sessions based on your needs.

 

Clients will receive supporting data files both before and after the refresh to assist with reconciliation and ensure continuity of COB data.

Before the refresh:

• A file containing all membership-level records that will be deleted will be delivered via SFTP in the standard member file format
• Clients may continue submitting weekly files; however, processing will be paused during the refresh period

After the refresh is complete:

• A full COB file will be delivered on July 20, containing all remaining overlaps with new reference IDs
• The Member Data Portal will return to read/write functionality on July 20, and all functionality will be restored
• A crosswalk file will be provided to map pre-refresh reference IDs to post-refresh reference IDs for all retained overlaps
• Each Reporting Entity (RE) will receive a file containing all records that were deleted from their dataset

Crosswalk file details:

• Includes both the original (pre-refresh) and new (post-refresh) reference IDs
• If an overlap is not recreated after the refresh:
  • The pre-refresh reference ID will be included
  • The post-refresh reference ID will be listed as “No Post Refresh Overlap”

This ensures all impacted plans have visibility into overlaps that no longer exist following the refresh.

Some overlaps that existed prior to the data refresh may not be recreated after the refresh is completed.

This typically occurs when one or both member records associated with the overlap were deleted during the refresh due to inactivity or data quality criteria. In these cases, the overlap no longer meets the criteria to be recreated. 

Because these overlaps are shared across plans, this status will be communicated to all impacted parties through the crosswalk file, where the pre-refresh reference ID will be included and the post-refresh reference ID will be listed as “No Post Refresh Overlap.”

This ensures all affected plans have clear visibility into overlaps that no longer exist following the refresh. 

Yes. Overlaps will have new reference IDs once the refresh is complete and a crosswalk will be provided to map old Reference IDs to new ones. If COB data was saved internally using old reference IDs, those old reference IDs will need to be updated using the crosswalk.