Google Ads

Google wants to make US health insurance ads more trustworthy with new certification program

Abner Li | Apr 20 2021 - 9:31 am PT

Building on existing ad policies, Google today announced a new certification program for health insurance advertisers in the United States.

Moving forward, Google will only allow ads from government exchanges, first-party providers, and licensed third-party brokers. This covers individual health insurance coverage, short-term coverage, and Medicare. Advertisers will be required to provide documentation showing they are permitted under state law to sell health insurance.

Similarly, private-sector providers promoting Affordable Care Act-compliant plans will be required to show proof that they are registered with the government to do so. Government advertisers will be exempt from the certification process.

Google says this certification “creates an additional layer of protection on top of our longstanding misrepresentation policies, which prohibit advertisements with misleading claims about insurance plans or the advertiser’s affiliation with the government.”

When people come to Google with questions about healthcare coverage and insurance plans, we are committed to creating a high-quality ad experience – one where they’re connected to trustworthy providers, and the promotion is clear from the ad itself.

Eligible advertisers can apply for the third-party certification on May 3, and ad serving will be blocked on June 2 — when the updated Healthcare and medicines policy goes into effect — for those that don’t complete the process.

In the United States, advertisers will need to be certified by G2 as a provider of health insurance before they can advertise on Google. This update will require health insurance advertisers to: (1) identify themselves to G2 as a health insurance provider; (2) certify to G2 that they are permitted under state and/or local laws to lawfully promote and sell health insurance; and (3) identify whether or not they are registered with the U.S. government to promote and sell Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans.