Update to this story: The deadline to use the My HealtheVet user ID and password has been extended from Jan. 31, 2025, to March 4, 2025.
Jan. 28 is Data Privacy Day, which marks the importance of safeguarding personal information online and preparing for sign-in changes.
VA is committed to ensuring Veteran information is protected and that our technologies meet modern security standards. That is why two major changes are coming to how Veterans, caregivers and beneficiaries sign in to VA websites and apps this year.
Upcoming changes
After Jan. 31, 2025, Veterans won’t be able to sign in to VA.gov, VA apps or other VA online services with a My HealtheVet user ID and password. After Sept. 30, 2025, Veterans won’t be able to sign in with a DS Logon username and password.
Veterans will have two sign-in account options: a Login.gov or ID.me account. Veterans can use their account to sign in to VA.gov, VA apps and any other VA online service they use to manage their VA benefits and care.
Simple and secure
VA is moving to a more modern, refined sign-in experience in 2025 to:
- Reduce the number of sign-in options Veterans need to choose from—just as Veterans have asked us to do. Over several years, Veterans have said that they want fewer account options. And they want to be able to use their chosen sign-in account to access all of their VA benefits and care.
- Continue to protect all Veterans’ information and benefits. 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 received more than 1 million reports of identity theft. That same year, Veterans and military retirees also reported to the FTC $350 million in losses to fraud.
- Meet the latest federal standards for modern account security. VA is required by federal policy to help all Veterans begin using a sign-in account that meets modern security standards. VA is also required to simplify the sign-in experience for Veterans. Login.gov and ID.me help to meet both these requirements.
Login.gov and ID.me also use multifactor authentication, an extra layer of protection to ensure that it’s the Veteran trying to use their sign-in account and not someone pretending to be them.
How to prepare
For Data Privacy Day and beyond, take action to secure your personal data.
If you use DS Logon or the My HealtheVet user ID and password to sign in to My HealtheVet, you’ll need to switch to using a Login.gov or ID.me account. With Login.gov or ID.me, you’ll have access to all the same information and services you use today.
For more information about how to make a Login.gov or ID.me account, go to the Creating an account for VA.gov page; for more information about online security, go to the How To Protect Your Identity and Your VA Benefits From Scammers page.
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Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
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The extension to March 4, 2025, gives Veterans more time to transition, which is a smart move. Streamlining sign-ins with Login.gov and ID.me improves security and convenience, but some may find the switch frustrating. Clear guidance and support will be key to a smooth transition.
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Requesting a new letter for the year 2025.
ID.me is a disaster looking for a place to happen
As I read this, to me is more than obvious our data has been comprised, we are tired of the sign is and 2 factor BS, get rid of the contract, IT here in west Texas, cant even get a printer to correctly work, Our terminals are so slow and we see how long it takes the circle of waste to stop spinning.
find out who was the knumbskull to have such a weak or more likely to lazy to place a real security stop to our leaking data, HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. everyone else is and so should they be also
Veterans are not be protected.
Access to VA VISN has been compromised.
The new cyber protocols, may help; however, correcting and holding those accountable for fraud of VA is critical.
Why don’t the states use this ID.ME? Ohio’s system isn’t designed to weed out the hackers, it is designed to weed out everybody!
I’ve used ID.ME in Federal situations and had very little trouble (except for learning something new and simple.
Nothing is bullet-proof, but if you do not use it or cannot use it, no system is worth anything.
This new ID me system is BS. Go back to the old system. It worked quite well before some loggerhead decided to screw things up but that’s government efficiency for you. If it works, fix it.
I now call in all of my meds for refill.
I also was unable to obtain a ID.ME or LOGIN.GOV account for the VA. I have over 30 years IT experience and most of my marbles. Go back to the old system.
I have an ID.ME account which works fine for buying concert tickets and other sites. The VA requires a state ID. I submitted scans of my Passport which were not accepted. I am not making an appointment at the post office to verify who I am. After over four hours of attempting to get a VA Login with ID.ME and LOGIN.GOV, I gave up.
Before the VA kicks us out of myhealthyvet I will change all correspondence to mail or telephone.
New sign in system is ridiculous. The requirements to be able to do so are confusing and unnecessary. “go to the post office to be identified” ??? What idiot new guy decided to “make a better way” Leave well enough alone. I don’t think this level of security is necessary for Vets. As far as I’m concerned and I’m sure most others, we could give a damn whether or not anyone sees our records. Let’s spend more time making it easier on Vets to get things done, not a lot of red tape to go through as the VA is noted for. Pass this on to the new director!!
Excellent implementation for VA population! You can never be too safe!
FYI, ID.me can be accessed through your phones as well. One has mine handy for those military discounts I LUV when enjoying my fav hobby (shopping) lol. :-)
I’ve managed to get the new login to work. My advice is to avoid ID.me, which is COMPLETE garbage. Use login.gov. I haven’t had any problems with it. You just put your username and password in, get a code from your phone, and you’re in!
I am not computer savvy. But I do my best. Everything I try to make an account I get told, the wrong password or we need to know it’s you and runs you all over and still no good. What can I do?8
New sign-in a total mess. Time consuming, difficult to use, and should be elimited returning to old method or something simpler to use.
I have used the My Health Vet connection for years with no problem. Trying to get assistance with Login.gov is a nightmare, even though I supposedly already have an account with them (they refuse to accept my password and attempts to create a new one have only resulted in the system demanding verification which they will apparently only accept if my local post office is involved). This whole goat ropers convention is atypical of unnecessary government intervention. If they are so worried about fraud, set up a system to detect it rather than making it more difficult for the average vet to get the help that he needs.
I am an 81-year old Vietnam Veteran and my Login.gov credentials work reasonably well for access to many governmental agencies OTHER THAN VA. In short, I seem to get into a “circular” mess when trying to access my VA health information using my existing Login.gov credentials. There seems to be an additional request by VA for pictures of identification and other materials etc. which have already been provided to the VA and numerous other agencies in the past. My VA-provided hearing aids are blue-toothed into my special flip phone which is not capable of performing the tasks requested in the additional “circular” instructions. Going to a suitable post office is not an option. The use of erroneous information from the credit-reporting agencies has also been a major problem in the past since I have a fairly common name and no requested corrections have been made by the private agencies providing this sort of information for a fee. If the policy objective of the VA is to provide assistance to U. S. military veterans, this debacle clearly flies in the face of that policy objective. Please ensure that our existing (previously vetted) Login.gov credentials will work for access to our critical VA accounts without all the additional clearly redundant requirements. Thank you.
NOT working for My Health Vet account! Pathetic switch complications now requires download of WA drivers License to confirm my Login! Did Elon Musk take over VA Data?
First off, there is nothing simple about this new login! You go to login in site, then it takes you to another to do the same thing over again. If you happen to get lucky, you might get the right site, if not, then you have to start all over again. Totally waste of time! If if ever gets corrected, and the all the records gets transferred over, it probably will be a great system since it seems live everyone is going to a similar system. But there is a lot of bugs to work out first before it can work properly and efficiently.
Simple my -ss, I can no longer get into my data, and my frustration level is off the charts.
I do not like the new sign in procedure. It is not user friendly and limits me to being at home to answer the phone every time I sign in. Everyone was used to using the old system and it worked. The new procedure will cause a lot of people trouble getting prescription refills and communicating with their primary.
It’s just too difficult and confusing to log in. I’ve tried many times without success and just gave up.
This sign in is a nightmare for myhealthy vet. I created an account and I’m going in circles to get to my health care team. WTH was the federal govt thinking with this. Someone needs to contact me so I can access my healthy vet!!
Glad to see Doug Collins become head of VA, because it is getting worse by the day ! Hope his staff read these posts we vets post & fix things quickly!
I am a 90% disabled vet, 73 now. Like many others, all these different programs online in VA are confusing, hard to navigate & force vets to quit trying to get help/benefits ! Needs to be streamlined NOW !
I worked 13 yrs AF, 6 yrs USPS, 11 yrs Navy ( civilian GS-9 in recruiting )& retired under civil service. I have to now try & navigate OPM, VA, Social Security & all their websites ! Maddening! Just trying to get travel pay from VA the last two years has caused me to just stop putting in for it ! Know many others have same problem . We used to get paid at VA after visits, then they went to kiosks at VA ( worked well, direct deposit to your bank ). Now, travel pay at least here in Phoenix VA has personnel shortages, no help, even patient advocate no help ! Hope this gets looked into!
This new system doesn’t work for me. I do not have cell phone service at my home and ID.me won’t accept my land line phone for sending secondary authentication. I am disabled and unable to leave my home, so this presents me with an insurmountable barrier to access my VA accounts.
When will VA News stop the openly racist and hateful practice of lowercasing White while uppercasing Black? See e.g.:https://news.va.gov/105205/black-veterans-receive-equal-or-superior-lung-cancer-care-in-va/
Example: “Previous research in the general population has shown that Black patients are less likely than white patients to undergo surgery for lung cancer.” No prizes for guessing which group the leftists at VA News prefer.
Hey VA News: this isn’t “Mother Jones.” You must have missed the memo, but we are once again living in AMERICA. We veterans are all supposed to be equal and treated with dignity. Stop your far left race-based nastiness.
I’ve attempted to complete the process at ID.me.gov a number of times and none have been successful. On the last attempt I got to the last step (after giving all my personal information) and was asked again for my telephone number which I entered, clicked continue, and got a message that it was not recognized so I exited. I gave up. Don’t know what to do now. Worried about where my personal information now resides.
Perhaps you’d be good enough to explain why Login.gov will not accept a US passport as valid ID. Does the American government no longer have confidence in its primary identity document? It would seem so. And while you’re at it, please tell me how veterans living abroad can obtain the ‘state-issued ID’ required by Login.gov.
As for ID.me, it’s emphatically NOT for me. This private company vacuums up an astonishingly wide range of sensitive information, while requiring account holders to give it blanket authorization to divulge any or all of its trove to any company or other entity that ID.me ‘trusts and considers reliable’. The key question, then, is whether ID.me itself can be said to be either trustworthy or reliable, and as I read the available evidence, there are good reasons to doubt this.
Bottom line: The (now temporarily deferred) mandatory changes in account authorization may well be the VA’s idea of simplicity and security, but they are most certainly not mine. They are, in truth, neither simple nor secure. The upshot? I’ll be doing business with the VA by mail, phone, and fax in future — until the VA closes those doors, as well. At which point — if I’m still alive, that is — I will become the Invisible Veteran.
Thank you for your disservice.
“Update to this story: The deadline to use the My HealtheVet user ID and password has been extended from Jan. 31, 2025, to March 4, 2025.” This is the best news I’ve read. Luckily I came across this because I know the VA is not going to advertise it. I will continue to use My HealthyVet because it only takes 2 or 3 clicks, instead of having to answer my phone or check my email and key in a bunch of other numbers. Reducing the number of options is only good for the VA.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. This is not easy or simple. PLEASE leave it the way it is.
I’ve been using login.gov for almost two years now I believe. As soon as I read of this login change, I created the login. gov account i would need. I’ve never looked back. The redesigned VA.Gov website is truly all in one shopping. Finally, one site, one log on and the site offers me every option I need. From appointments to prescriptions, to messaging and clinical notes to review. As well, lab results, and community care reminders. It’s all at Va.gov one site no more redirects or multiple urls to bookmark. A huge thanks to the folks who continue to build the site, with multiple security advances. You are helping millions of veterans navigate one humongous web portal.
Someone who is in charge of this sign in change should read these comments. There is not 1 good word said about the new procedures. I didn’t have a problem setting up ID.Me. but a month later it just stopped sending me the login code. Roy the “support” bot tells me to change my password & MFA process but I have no confidence it will make a difference as nothing was changed on my side in the first place.
The system is a train wreck.
I began using login.gov a while ago. For me it is very easy to use and provides security where it is needed! I like the idea of log-in to one site and being able to connect to other sites…less to remember!! Excellent!
cannot get signed in to the new sign in procedure. Have called, was told I need to find someone who knows how to make this work. I have no idea who this someone is or how to contact them. I can’t believe the V.A. is making this so hard. What is the purpose? I have been using myhealthevet for years and never had a problem. Why does the system that works being replaced by something that doesn’t work, nor does anybody understand on how to make it work.
The new sign in ID.me is terrible. There is nothing simple about it. So much time trying and not getting anywhere. Someone is trying to keep vets off line it seems.
Well I think I am signed up. Do I have to wait until the 1st to see if it works? It isn’t doing anything. I use a MAC so I hope it is compatible?
I never had a problem with “MY HEALTHY VET”!
Sean, yes it does work w/ MAC and also w/ your phone if you choose to utilize this option. call me @ 914.661.2138 m-f (0900-1700) and I will walk you through the process, okay. We are here for y’all always, that’s a promise!
Not working as described. If ID #’s are verified through login.gov, and the vet wants to complete the process at the post office, why must they also have a ‘verified phone’? Not everybody has a post-paid phone or a landline. I will not scan and upload IDs into the system. The VA already has this information, and all vets are already verified. As another user stated, we will no longer be able to manage prescriptions, view lab tests or communicate with providers. It is also a problem if we manage the account for the vet and have another login.gov account.
Tried for 2 months and with help from support (on phone for 2 hours with Jacklyn-Bless her heart) and still unsuccessful
Please ask Elon Musk to evaluate the VA sign in protocol because right now there are too many fingers in the pot designing too many sign in options and changing them continuously! He could make it efficient and user friendly . Fire your designers and hire professionals to get it done right.
Leinaala, 2 hours? yes that would make anyone lose their cool. don’t fret. call me @ 914.661.2138 m-f (0900-1700) and I will walk you through the process, okay. We are here for y’all always, that’s a promise!
I have used Healthevet website from the beginning, then learned I had to drive 100 miles to a VA hospital to be authenticated to use all of its features. . I have used it and like it.
The new login is unnecessary and will prevent me and many others from using the site. I have tried three times to sign in to ID.me ,with out success. I am disgusted with trying. Most if not all of the information they ask for , they already have. I doubt I will try it again, so starting tomorrow I will be prevented from checking appointments, lab results, ordering meds and sending messages to my provider.
You are not helping vets your only making life more difficult for them.
I suggest that you keep Healthevet as it is, if some want the new system , let them have it, but don’t deprive the rest of us from the older, familiar login.
I tried to complete for my personal VA benefits, now I have two accounts, one for person, one for work. It won’t let me merge or update either account. Now I have to get someone else I work with to order VA appraisals for the veterans I help to obtain financing on their homes because ID.ME says I already have another account. Yes and I can’t get a number to talk with someone, it just sends me to self-service and since I can’t update my email, any response is going to my old employment email that I can’t access. UGH!
Try
1 800-538-9552/DEERS
Jolene, Yes, ID.ME can be a bit of a bug. The same thing happened to me. But the good thing is everything is fixable, if you follow the processes in place. call me @ 914.661.2138 m-f (0900-1700) and I will walk you through the process, okay. We are here for y’all always, that’s a promise!
HORRIBLE…VERY HARD FOR US. WHY IS THIS SO HARD, I BARELY USE A COMPUTER.
Douglas, don’t fret. call me @ 914.661.2138 m-f (0900-1700) and I will walk you through the process, okay. We are here for y’all always, that’s a promise!
TOO MUCH ===B/S & A/I
Vincent, I understand your frustration. don’t fret. call me @ 914.661.2138 m-f (0900-1700) and I will walk you through the process, okay. We are here for y’all always, that’s a promise!
First there is nothing simple or easy about the new very complicated and un-necessary governmental control over all communications with anything to do with any government agency. The need for double coded checkin is just so much more complicated and that much more difficult for aged and/or disabled vets. So much so that I for one will not try again to log in. First requiring birth certificates, and marriage, drivers license ID, a utility bill to prove residence is idiotic for someone that has been using the VA for more than fifty years. Vets nor anyone else asked for this action and your lies do not make it so. It’s just a Biden admin action to maximize control over the populace.