The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has added CLEAR as a sign-in option for VA.gov under a pilot that lets veterans create or access their accounts with the company’s CLEAR1 identity platform, either online or in person at six VA medical centers.
Veterans who choose CLEAR complete a one-time setup, after which later sign-ins use a selfie. CLEAR1, which CLEAR is deploying in federal agencies with GDIT as its preferred systems integrator, combines biometrics, a government-issued identity document and trusted data sources to establish confidence in the person accessing the account. VA.gov’s sign-in guidance now lists CLEAR alongside ID.me and Login.gov as account options.
For veterans who prefer in-person help, lack a smartphone or have unreliable connectivity, CLEAR Ambassadors will handle enrollment using CLEAR Pods at VA medical centers in Brooklyn, New York; Washington, D.C.; Palo Alto, California; Decatur, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The pilot follows a VA market research request on next-generation identity, authentication and navigation for VA.gov issued in January, which cited friction in identity verification, multi-factor authentication and account recovery for some veterans. VA serves roughly 17 million living veterans, and its health care system serves 9.1 million enrolled veterans each year.
CLEAR says using its service is free and optional, that veterans may keep using another sign-in method, and that declining to enroll will not affect access to benefits or services. The company says it does not receive or access veterans’ health information through the identity verification process. CLEAR1’s standard remote, self-service enrollment flow is certified by the Kantara Initiative as meeting NIST identity assurance level 2 and authenticator assurance level 2.
“Secure identity is the front door to care, and when that door works seamlessly and securely, Veterans get served faster and taxpayer dollars go where they belong,” said Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR.
CLEAR, which says it has more than 43 million members, is also under contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where Medicare.gov added CLEAR, ID.me and Login.gov as biometric sign-in options earlier this year.
According to CLEAR, VA and the company will consider expanding the offering based on the results of the pilot.
Sources: PR Newswire, VA.gov
–
By the ID Tech Editorial Team
