VA Secure Sign-In Changes: What Veterans Need to Know
As of March 4, 2025, the My HealtheVet login option will no longer be available for accessing VA services. Later this year, on September 30, 2025, DS Logon will also be retired. This means that all veterans must transition to either Login.gov or ID.me to access their healthcare, disability claims, and other essential VA services.
While the VA claims these changes will improve security and streamline access, recent developments raise serious concerns about whether veterans will experience increased login failures, identity verification challenges, and potential service disruptions—especially following the elimination of 18F, the federal tech team responsible for maintaining Login.gov.
The DOGE Purge and Its Impact on Login.gov
Over the weekend, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under Elon Musk’s leadership, eliminated 18F—a digital services agency within the General Services Administration (GSA) that was responsible for developing and maintaining Login.gov. This abrupt decision resulted in approximately 70 employees being dismissed, including security engineers, product managers, and designers who ensured Login.gov functioned properly and securely.
With 18F gone, who is now responsible for troubleshooting, maintaining security, and ensuring accessibility for Login.gov? This uncertainty places veterans at potential risk, as any technical failures, security flaws, or system malfunctions could lead to delays in accessing critical VA benefits and healthcare.
Concerns About ID.me and Facial Recognition
Veterans who opt for ID.me as their sign-in option face another set of challenges. ID.me relies on facial recognition technology, which has been widely criticized for biases, inaccuracies, and accessibility issues—especially for veterans who experience changes in their facial appearance due to:
Medical treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or steroid use, which can alter facial structure.
Gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgeries, which can make old ID photos unrecognizable.
Aging, injuries, or disabilities, which may cause facial asymmetry or difficulty passing biometric verification.
Weight fluctuations, illness, or even minor changes like puffy eyes or a new haircut, which can confuse the system.
For veterans who fail facial recognition verification, getting locked out of their VA accounts could mean losing access to healthcare, disability claims, and essential services—at the worst possible time. ID.me has a history of false rejections, and without 18F’s oversight, there is even less accountability to ensure fair and accurate access.
What Veterans Can Do Now
With these upcoming changes, veterans must take action to ensure continued access to their benefits and healthcare. Here’s what you can do:
Register for Login.gov and ID.me now to avoid last-minute disruptions.
Test your ID.me facial recognition verification early—if it fails, you may need to request alternative verification.
Contact the VA and demand additional identity verification options that do not rely solely on facial recognition.
Document and report login failures if they occur, so that systemic issues can be identified and challenged.
Spread awareness about these risks—many veterans may not realize the impact of these changes until they experience login problems firsthand.
The Bigger Picture: A Barrier to Access
The elimination of My HealtheVet and DS Logon should have come with a better, more accessible replacement—not a system plagued by technical instability, facial recognition failures, and security concerns. Instead, the VA is forcing veterans into a system that may deny them access to their own benefits due to poor government planning and corporate overreach.
We cannot allow this to go unchallenged. The VA must be held accountable for ensuring that veterans—especially disabled, trans, and aging veterans—can access the services they have earned. If the current system fails to meet accessibility and security standards, the VA must provide alternative verification methods that do not disproportionately impact marginalized and disabled veterans.
Final Thoughts
With My HealtheVet officially shutting down tomorrow, veterans must immediately transition to Login.gov or ID.me. However, the elimination of 18F and the reliance on facial recognition technology raise serious concerns about the accessibility, security, and reliability of these login methods. If the VA is truly committed to supporting veterans, it must provide multiple secure login options that account for the diversity of veterans' needs.
Veterans should not be locked out of healthcare and benefits because of poorly executed digital policies. This issue deserves attention, advocacy, and action—because access to healthcare and benefits is a right, not a privilege.
