If Medicare.gov recently asked you to verify your identity through a service called ID.me, CLEAR, or Login.gov, you are not being scammed, and you have not done anything wrong. In March 2026, Medicare added these three free identity services to its website to protect your information from fraud. This article explains, in plain English, why the check exists, what it asks for, what your options are if you do not have a smartphone or a driver's license, how to tell the real thing from an imitation, and one warning from Medicare's own page that most people miss before they switch. (Full disclosure: Slothwise, the company behind this site, makes one of the apps listed in Medicare's App Library, and connecting any app to your Medicare information uses this same identity layer. More on that near the end.)

First, the most important thing

Your Medicare benefits do not depend on any of this. Medicare's own guidance says you do not need an online account to get your Medicare information, general or personal. Your coverage, your premiums, and your enrollment are exactly the same whether you verify online, keep using paper statements, or handle everything by phone at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Identity verification is about protecting your online account, not about qualifying for anything.

What changed, and why?

Since March 3, 2026, Medicare.gov's sign-in works with three identity services. In Medicare's own words: "You can now create or log in to your secure Medicare account using ID.me, CLEAR, or Login.gov. These are free, secure services that verify your identity. Verifying your identity helps us prevent fraud and make sure you're the only one who can access your information."

That last part is the whole reason this exists. Your Medicare account can show your claims, your medications, and your personal details. Before, a stolen password could open all of it. A verified identity means someone pretending to be you cannot simply log in as you.

Is this a scam? How to tell.

The check is real when you started it: you typed Medicare.gov into your browser, went to log in, and the site walked you to one of the three services. That is the legitimate flow.

It is a scam when it comes to you: a call, text, or email saying you must "verify your identity" or your Medicare will be suspended. The Federal Trade Commission warns about exactly this kind of Medicare impersonation. Medicare does not cold-call, text, or email demanding verification, and no legitimate caller needs your Medicare number or a verification code to "keep your benefits active." If that happens, hang up and, if you want to check, call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.

One habit covers almost everything: never verify because someone contacted you. Only verify because you went to Medicare.gov yourself and it asked.

Do you have to do it?

• If you already have a Medicare.gov account: not yet. Your existing username and password still work at this time. One important thing to know before you switch: Medicare's page warns, "Once you connect your existing Medicare account with one of these identity verification services, you can no longer log in to your Medicare account using your existing Medicare username or password." The switch is one way, so pick your service before you connect.

• If you are creating a new account: new accounts now go through one of the three services. You will also need your Medicare Number first, which you get after you sign up for Medicare.

• If you never use the website: nothing changes for you. Paper, phone, and in-person help all keep working.

What you will need

Verification takes a few minutes, is free, and you only do it once for your account. Have ready:

1. One photo ID: a REAL ID driver's license, a state-issued photo ID, or a U.S. passport. A driver's license is not required as long as you have one of the others.

2. Your Social Security number.

3. A phone number, and a device with a camera: a smartphone works, and so does a computer or tablet with a camera.

You will take a picture of your ID and a short video of yourself so the service can confirm you are a real, present person. After that, signing in is just a login, not a re-verification.

No smartphone? No driver's license? You still have good options.

This is where the three services differ, and it matters for choosing one:

• In person: ID.me offers in-person verification at participating locations such as The UPS Store, and Login.gov offers it at the U.S. Post Office. You bring your documents and a code from your registration. CLEAR does not offer an in-person option.

• No mobile phone: Medicare's comparison notes that ID.me and Login.gov can be used without a mobile phone; CLEAR requires one. A shared computer, including one at your local library, is fine.

• If the photo steps do not work for you: with ID.me, you can verify on a video call with a real person instead.

• If none of that appeals: skip it entirely and use the phone. 1-800-MEDICARE handles Medicare questions without any online account.

"I already did this for Social Security. Why again?"

You may not have to do it again. These same services are used across the federal government, and ID.me says plainly: "If you verified your identity for another organization with the same requirements as Medicare.gov, you don't need to verify again." If you verified for Social Security, the IRS, or the VA, sign in to Medicare.gov with that same account and follow the prompts; at most you will confirm a few details rather than starting over.

What about your privacy?

Medicare's official guidance states that Login.gov, ID.me, and CLEAR will not sell your data, and that your health information stays with Medicare; the identity services check who you are, they do not receive your medical records. If taking a video of yourself is the part you dislike, remember the alternatives above: a video call with a human, an in-person visit, or no account at all. Verifying does not change your benefits or costs in any way.

What does this mean for health apps?

The same identity layer protects Medicare's App Library, the page where Medicare lists health apps that passed an independent privacy and security review. Its listing page promises that "identity verification is built in": when you connect an app to your Medicare information, you approve it through a secure sign-in and identity check, so an app cannot pull your data without you proving it is really you. If you are curious what is in the library, we wrote a plain-English explainer and a guide to every app in it.

Common questions

Will I lose my benefits if I never verify? No. Benefits, premiums, and enrollment are unaffected. Verification only protects online account access.

Which service should I pick? Any of the three works and all are free for Medicare.gov. If you do not have a smartphone, or want an in-person option, choose ID.me or Login.gov. If you already verified with one of them for another agency, use that one and save yourself the paperwork.

Can I keep using my old Medicare.gov password? For now, yes, if you already have an account. But once you connect one of the identity services, the old username and password stop working permanently, so treat the switch as one way.

What if the verification will not go through? Do not battle the photo screen forever. With ID.me you can switch to a video call with a real person, or go in person. And everything you need from Medicare is still available at 1-800-MEDICARE while you sort it out.

I help my parent with Medicare. Can I verify for them? The identity check exists to prove the account holder is really them, so let your parent complete it themselves, with you sitting alongside to help with the camera and the typing. That way nobody's account rules are broken and your parent stays in control.

How does Slothwise fit in?

Slothwise is one of the apps in the Medicare App Library, and this identity layer is exactly what you meet if you connect your Medicare information to it: a one-time secure sign-in and identity check that you start, you approve, and you can disconnect anytime. The check itself happens with the identity service, not inside Slothwise: we never see your ID photos or your video, and the same verification trusted across the federal government stands between your Medicare information and any app, ours included. After that, Slothwise brings your records, claims, and day-to-day health information together and answers your questions in plain language. You can use it in the app or right from your text messages, and it is free to start, with no credit card.

Slothwise is one option, not the only one. The App Library's compare tool lets you weigh every listed app, and for questions about your coverage, 1-800-MEDICARE and your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) are free to call.

The short version

• Medicare.gov added three free identity services in March 2026: ID.me, CLEAR, and Login.gov. The check protects your account from fraud; your benefits never depend on it.

• Real verification starts with you going to Medicare.gov. Anyone who contacts you demanding verification is a scammer; hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE if unsure.

• You will need a photo ID (a state ID or passport works if you have no license), your Social Security number, and a device with a camera. No smartphone needed with ID.me or Login.gov, and both offer in-person options.

• Existing passwords still work for now, but connecting a service is one way. And if you would rather skip all of it, the phone still does everything.

Slothwise is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or any government agency, and does not sell, endorse, or recommend any Medicare plan. This article is general information, not legal, financial, or medical advice. For questions about your specific coverage, contact 1-800-MEDICARE, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), or a qualified professional. Last updated: July 2026.