Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2025

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by Outside Contributor

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Two great options to keep your information secure

I’m matter-of-fact when it comes to decisions. I prefer no more than two choices. I’m confident I’ll make the correct selection. Once I decide, there are never any regrets.

It’s like visiting the optometrist and he starts flipping the lenses and asks, “Which one looks better: three or four?” Now, it may take me responding with, “Can you show me those two options…again?” But after that, I’m all in: “Definitely four!”

Veterans are about to have two options to securely access their VA health care and benefits. You’ll have to choose which one is best for you. Spoiler alert: They’re both equally good.

VA is moving to a more modern online sign-in experience—to simplify your options and

continue to protect your identity, data, and benefits.

VA is committed to making it as easy as possible for Veterans to manage their benefits and health care digitally. As part of this commitment, and to streamline Veterans’ sign-in options, VA will transition to two modern, secure sign-in options in 2025: a Login.gov or ID.me account.

Here’s what’s changing for VA websites and mobile apps:

• After January 31, 2025, VA will remove the option to sign in with a My HealtheVet user ID and password.
• After September 30, 2025, VA will remove the option to sign in with a DS Logon username and password.
• You’ll then have two sign-in account options: Login.gov or ID.me.

VA is making these changes for several reasons.

Veteran feedback: Veterans asked for fewer sign-in account options to reduce confusion and sign-in complexity.

Enhanced security: This change helps VA continue to protect the security of Veterans’ identities and data by ensuring all Veterans are using modern, secure accounts and have the added protection of multifactor authentication (MFA).

Continued protection against identity theft: Identity theft and related medical identity theft are serious issues that can cause severe financial hardship and disruption in medical care for Veterans and their families. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 1 million reports of identity theft. That same year, Veterans and military retirees reported $350 million in losses to the FTC due to fraud. Active-duty service members and Veterans are 76% more likely than their civilian counterparts to experience identity theft.

Federal policy: VA is required to help all Veterans begin using a sign-in account that meets modern security standards and ensure that Veterans’ sign-in experience is as simple as possible. Login.gov and ID.me help VA meet both these requirements.

80-year-old U.S. Navy veteran Walter H. “Skip” Williams, Jr., who lives in the Oklahoma City area, recently completed the process to verify his identity and establish his account. “I had trouble at first,” he said. “But the My HealtheVet coordinator told me to take my time and try again.” Williams also learned he can use his verified account for other government services, like Social Security benefits.

Actions to take—and who’s affected:

If you use an account to access any VA online services – including through the VA: Health and Benefits mobile app – and are not yet using Login.gov or ID.me, this change will impact you. Don’t fret; there’s still time to transition.

If you already use a Login.gov or ID.me account to access VA’s online services or mobile app, you are all set and don’t need to do anything additional. This describes me; I use ID.me.

If you currently use a DS Logon or My HealtheVet username and password to access VA’s online services or mobile app, simply create an identity-verified Login.gov or ID.me account sooner rather than later so you have time to get used to it before this change. This likely describes most of my readers.

If you are planning to create a sign-in account for the first time this year to access VA’s online services or mobile app, please create and use a Login.gov or ID.me account.

If you want to manage your VA benefits and services offline, that’s not a problem. VA will continue providing easy access to manage your VA benefits and health care in other ways, including by phone or in-person.

Fellow Veterans, take advantage of this enhancement for your security. Don’t just do it on VA’s platforms, consider your options in the retail marketplace, too. It’s indubitably apparent that you shouldn’t show your DD 214 with your social security number to a stranger working the register just to get a free appetizer on Veterans Day. Take the same precautions to protect your identity online!

Take action today and have your Login.gov or ID.me account ready so you can easily, securely and remotely manage prescriptions, message your VA care team, check on a claim’s status and more through the VA Health and Benefits app and My HealtheVet.

Check out the latest episode of The BLUF to get all this information in an easy-to-follow video format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQLJ9PMQ2jQ.

Learn more and get support at: www.va.gov/sign-in-changes.

Thanks for allowing me to walk alongside you behind friendly lines.

Victory!

Jason T. Strickland, Lieutenant Colonel (U.S. Army Retired), is the chief communications officer at the VA Rocky Mountain Network Email: [email protected].