Health insurance advertisers in the U.S. now required to pass Google Ads certification

Health insurance providers hoping to advertise on Google Ads will have until June 2, 2021 to complete the certification and provide proof that they are permitted under state law to sell health insurance.

The certification is another effort by Google Ads to ensure trustworthiness of advertisers in the healthcare and government services space.

“We’ll be partnering with G2 on the certification program. Advertisers will not need to complete a separate certification form for each state they’re licensed in. In the certification flow, advertisers will be asked to provide the states they are licensed to sell health insurance coverage in – G2 will then verify each of these claims as part of the overall approval process,” a spokesperson from Google Ads told Search Engine Land.

Health insurance Ads certification. “With this certification, we will only allow ads from government exchanges, first-party providers and licensed third-party brokers… This includes plans for individual health insurance coverage, short-term coverage and Medicare, among others. Additionally, for private-sector providers promoting Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans, we will also require proof they are registered with the U.S. government to do so,” wrote Terri Ozoroski-Ghen, Director, Monetized Policy, Trust & Safety.

Why we care. If you work in the healthcare advertising space, this is something to ensure your clients and business are in compliance with. Similar to Google’s certification program for online pharmacies which limits ads for the sale of prescription drugs to those from licensed pharmacies in countries where those ads are legal, this is another layer of protection for consumers.

Along with the completion of the certification, those advertising health insurance policies must provide documentation that they are legally allowed to do so. Advertisers can begin to apply for certification on May 3, 2021. And if the certification is not complete by June 2, 2021, the search marketers’ health insurance advertisements will no longer be served.