Identification

Identificación

In 9 languages

LanguageTerm
EnglishIdentification
Spanish (Español) Identificación
Chinese (中文) 身份证明
Korean (한국어) 신분증
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) Giấy tờ tùy thân
Filipino (Tagalog) Pagkakakilanlan
Portuguese (Português) Identificação
Thai (ภาษาไทย) หลักฐานแสดงตัวตน
Japanese (日本語) 身分証明書

What it means

In healthcare, identification refers to documents—such as a driver's license, passport, state ID card, or insurance card—that providers and insurers require to confirm who you are and verify your eligibility when you register for services. Presenting your insurance card at every visit allows the provider to bill your plan correctly and helps prevent billing errors. By federal law under EMTALA, emergency rooms must provide a medical screening examination regardless of whether you have identification. Some community health centers and safety-net clinics accept alternate identification to help patients without standard government-issued ID access care without delay.

How to say it

Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:

show your insurance card and photo ID

muestre su tarjeta de seguro y foto de identificación

patient identity verification at check-in

verificación de identidad del paciente al registrarse

ID check at registration

verificación de identificación en el registro

Where you'll see it

patient registration formhospital intake paperworkinsurance eligibility verification screenpharmacy pick-up process

Related terms

Sources

US Glossary Español A–Z US Codes United States

Last reviewed: September 2026