WASHINGTON, D.C.—CLEAR, the identity verification technology company commonly used at airports, is advancing its venture into healthcare by announcing a contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The initiative is one of the first concrete announcements that has resulted from the CMS’ Health Tech Ecosystem Initiative, announced over the summer. The partnership with CLEAR is a prime example of the CMS’ “Kill the Clipboard” initiative, which was one of three areas the agency set out to modernize in Medicare.
CLEAR said its technology will improve interoperability of healthcare by creating a standard way to verify identity across healthcare organizations and reduce fraud in the Medicare program through its multilayer identity verification. CLEAR touts that “patients and providers can verify with the snap of a selfie anywhere CLEAR is used.”
CLEAR1, the product, uses biometric data, document checks and authoritative source corroboration to confirm an individual’s identity. In its deployments at healthcare organizations like WellStar Health System, CLEAR has implemented kiosks at check-in embedded with cameras to confirm patients’ identities.
CMS Strategic Advisor Amy Gleason spoke at an event co-hosted by CLEAR and CMS on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where she described momentum and overwhelming participation in its Health Tech Ecosystem Initiative. Companies have pledged voluntarily to align with the government's interoperability priorities and to build new products to enable modern experiences in Medicare.
"For months, I’ve been saying that checking in at your doctor’s office should feel as simple as boarding a flight," Gleason said. "You should be able to scan a QR code and instantly, safely, share your identity, your insurance, and your medical information. That is the standard people experience in other parts of their lives, and they deserve it ... here too."
Gleason spoke about the threats of AI-driven fraud and synthetic identities that the partnership with CLEAR will help prevent.
CMS has also contracted with ID.me and login.gov to add options for beneficiaries and providers. CLEAR said the technology can be used by Medicare beneficiaries and providers to create accounts, recover accounts and access healthcare information.
Gleason added that the technology will be used for the forthcoming National Provider Directory for Medicare providers. She announced that states can now join the Health Tech Ecosystem and that Louisiana was the first state to join.
"As of today, states are able to take our pledge of the CMS health ecosystem on our website," Gleason said. "Louisiana led the way and now we’re excited to have other states join us on this journey by committing to advancing CMS aligned networks and patient facing apps to empower them."
Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR, spoke at the event about the success her company has had in forming private-public partnerships across sectors, including at airports. CLEAR entered the healthcare market in 2017, she said, to simplify identity verification.
"Every precious minute medical staff has to spend wrestling with outdated systems is a minute stolen from caring for patients," Becker said at the event. "At CLEAR, we see a huge opportunity to transform healthcare experiences, for both patients and providers and to make a real difference in people’s lives, because at the end of the day, we all have someone who has struggled in the medical system."
CLEAR's technology will roll out to Medicare beneficiaries on Medicare.gov in early 2026, the company said in a press release. The technology is HIPAA- and IAL2-compliant, two important certifications for patient data protection.
“We’re pleased to support CMS in advancing more secure and seamless access to healthcare information for Medicare beneficiaries,” David Bardan, general manager and head of healthcare at CLEAR, said. “Identity challenges impact Americans of every background, and outdated processes create real barriers to care. CLEAR1’s reusable, high-assurance identity can help reduce those barriers and strengthen the delivery of care for millions across the country.”
The company is also working on an integration with Epic’s MyChart to use its ID verification system in the popular patient portal. Wellstar Health, University of Miami Health, Hackensack Meridian Health, Community Health Network and Ochsner Health have also partnered with CLEAR.