Veterans checking in at VA medical facilities that use the Federal Electronic Health Record can now scan their Veteran Health Identification Card instead of giving the last four digits of their Social Security number. The change is now in place across all sites using the Federal EHR, giving veterans a faster check-in option and reducing routine use of the SSN.
The shift matters now because it changes a daily interaction for veterans who show up for care at those sites. Instead of spelling out a number that has long been part of the process, a quick scan can pull up the record and move the check-in along.
Tracey Julius said veterans are relieved to be able to scan their identification card, and once the card is scanned, the veteran’s information appears on the screen. That is the practical gain: the scan can reduce the risk of initially retrieving the wrong patient record, while also strengthening privacy by limiting the repeated use of Social Security digits.
The change also fits into VA’s longer effort to reduce reliance on SSN information, guided by Office of Management and Budget Memorandum 07-16. For veterans who do not want to use their VHIC, the old fallback is still there: they can check in with their last name and date of birth.
There is, though, one detail that keeps the process from being as simple as a single scan. After the card is read, some veterans may still receive a wristband depending on the type of care they are scheduled to receive, which means the new check-in step improves privacy without ending every extra handoff at the desk.
What remains unanswered is how quickly the Federal EHR will reach the remaining VA Medical Centers. For now, veterans at sites already on the system can bring their VHIC, check in without repeating the last four digits of their SSN, and move through the front end of care with one fewer barrier.
