CMS expands digital identity options for beneficiaries

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has introduced enhanced login options for Medicare.gov, allowing beneficiaries to verify their identity through ID.me, CLEAR, or Login.gov as part of a broader effort to strengthen account security and reduce fraud, according to Biometric Update.

The new options are free, meet federal Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) standards defined by NIST, and aim to better protect Medicare information from identity theft and unauthorized access. CMS emphasized that facial recognition used by some providers is a one-time identity check requiring permission, not for surveillance or tracking. Beneficiaries without smartphones or existing Medicare.gov accounts can still access general information through phone support, public computers, or in-person verification. The integration follows contract activity CMS began in late 2025, with ID.me securing a contract to provide identity verification and sign-in services.

CLEAR also won a CMS deal to provide biometric verification through its Clear1 platform, described as a high-assurance digital identity layer for healthcare. Login.gov received IAL2 accreditation in 2024. CMS stressed that medical information remains in its own systems, while identity verification data is stored separately by the chosen provider. The move is part of CMS's wider digital transformation and interoperability agenda.