U.S. VA Selects CLEAR for Veteran Account Modernization Pilot

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected CLEAR, a secure identity company, to pilot a new initiative aimed at modernizing the veteran experience on VA.gov. This first-of-its-kind effort seeks to bridge the gap between the benefits veterans have earned and the benefits they receive, making the process of accessing these benefits faster and simpler.

The VA serves approximately 17 million living U.S. veterans, with a health care system that enrolls 9.1 million veterans each year. This pilot project will provide a new, fast, and secure way for veterans to create or access their VA.gov account, online or in person at select VA Medical Centers. The initiative will be rolled out across six participating VA medical centers in Brooklyn, New York; Washington, D.C.; Palo Alto, California; Decatur, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Veterans can select CLEAR to create or access their VA.gov account. After a quick, one-time setup, future sign-ins take just seconds with a selfie. For those who prefer in-person support, do not have a smartphone, or face connectivity challenges, CLEAR Ambassadors will be available to assist at CLEAR Pods. These pods will be set up at the participating VA medical centers.

The secure identity platform used by CLEAR combines biometrics, government-issued identification, and trusted data sources to establish confidence in the person accessing the account. This assurance is crucial in combating fraud, waste, and abuse among benefit access. Federal agencies reported an estimated $186 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2025 across 64 programs. At the VA, the Government Accountability Office found that the Beneficiary Travel Program alone accumulated an estimated $1 billion in improper payments between 2018 and 2024, including confirmed cases of fraud. Verifying that the right person is receiving the right benefit is the first line of defense, and every dollar recovered is a dollar available to the roughly 17 million veterans who deserve support and resources after their service.

Veterans can choose to use CLEAR or continue using another sign-in method if they prefer. The VA and CLEAR will consider expanding this offering pending the results of this pilot program. Verifying with CLEAR is free and optional, and it will not affect a veteran's ability to access VA benefits or services.

Clear Secure, Inc., has spent more than 16 years building identity infrastructure for highly regulated, high-stakes environments, from airport security checkpoints to healthcare. With over 43 million members, CLEAR is the leader in secure identity for the moments that matter most. The company is committed to privacy done right, with members always in control of their own information, and no biometric or sensitive personal data sold.

The press release also mentions that CLEAR1 is being deployed across federal health and civilian agencies, and the company is under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to modernize identity verification on Medicare.gov. CLEAR1 is Full Service certified by Kantara Initiative for NIST IAL2/AAL2 for its standard remote, self-service enrollment flow.