Clear Secures CMS Contract to Modernize Medicare Identity Verification with Biometric Tech

Clear, a company known for its biometric identity solutions, has secured a significant contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to modernize identity verification for Medicare beneficiaries and providers on Medicare.gov. This contract will deploy Clear's Clear1 secure identity platform, which uses biometric verification via selfies to streamline account creation, account recovery, and access to healthcare information. Clear1 is designed to be HIPAA-compliant and meets high-assurance standards under NIST IAL2/AAL2, ensuring robust security against fraud and identity theft in healthcare settings. Clear's expansion into healthcare leverages its biometric technology to address identity challenges that can impede access to care. The Clear1 platform already partners with several healthcare organizations including Epic, Welldoc, and University of Miami Health. Recently, Clear partnered with Atlanta-based Sharecare to integrate Clear1 into Sharecare’s AskMD, an AI-enabled health navigation and decision support tool, further embedding Clear’s identity verification technology in innovative digital health solutions. CMS, in collaboration with the White House, is prioritizing digital transformation in health technology to improve interoperability, reduce administrative burdens, and modernize patient engagement on platforms like Medicare.gov. By adopting Clear1, CMS aims to enhance security and provide Medicare beneficiaries with more seamless and convenient access to their healthcare information. The adoption of reusable, high-assurance digital identity through Clear1 reflects ongoing efforts to create a trusted ecosystem that balances privacy, security, and usability. Clear executives emphasized the platform’s ability to help reduce barriers to care caused by outdated identity verification processes and support millions of Americans accessing Medicare services. This initiative aligns with broader federal efforts to foster a standards-based ecosystem among private-sector technology partners integrated with CMS networks. The contract demonstrates the growing importance of biometric and digital identity solutions within healthcare payer systems to combat fraud, improve regulatory compliance, and enhance patient experience. Clear is solidifying its position as a key player in healthcare identity verification, expanding from its origins in airport biometrics into the health sector’s complex identity challenges.