The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has eliminated the requirement for veterans to state the last four digits of their Social Security number at check-in, replacing it with a Veteran Health Identification Card scan at facilities running the Federal EHR.
The change applies systemwide at every site that has gone live with the Federal EHR, the platform built on Oracle Health technology that the VA has been deploying across its medical centers. Scanning the ID card pulls up the correct patient record faster and reduces the chance of matching a veteran to the wrong chart, the VA said.
The update also supports the VA’s long-running effort to limit unnecessary use of Social Security numbers. Veterans who don’t want to use their ID card can still check in with their last name and date of birth, and some will receive a wristband depending on the care they’re scheduled for.
Tracey Julius, a Red Coat Ambassador at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, said in an Aug. 19 news release that veterans have responded well to the faster process, since their information appears on screen as soon as the card is scanned, letting ambassadors direct them to appointments more quickly.
The VA has rolled out its Federal EHR at medical centers across Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky, with deployment to three Indiana sites — Fort Wayne, Marion and Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis — expected this month, and full implementation targeted for 2031.
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