Google announced that starting on June 2, 2021, those wanting to advertiser health insurance related products in the US will require to show certification. Ginny Marvin of Google said on Twitter this is to "help ensure a safe user experience" with the ads Google serves around health insurance.
Google said with this certification, Google will only allow ads from government exchanges, first-party providers and licensed third-party brokers. In order to run ads, advertisers will need to provide documentation showing they are permitted under state law to sell health insurance. This includes plans for individual health insurance coverage, short-term coverage and Medicare, among others. Additionally, Google said, for private-sector providers promoting Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans, the company will also require proof they are registered with the U.S. government to do so.
Google updated its healthcare policy for ads to say "On June 2, 2021, Google will update the Healthcare and medicines policy to require certification for health insurance advertising in the United States. Government advertisers are exempt from the certification process." Advertisers can begin to apply for certification on May 3, 2021.
How do you get this certification? Google will be using a company named G2 to provide it. Google said "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.
G2 will start accepting applications on May 3rd over here. Yes, there is a fee for certification.
Google said "Violations of this policy will be considered to be non-egregious and will therefore not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. Repeated violations could lead to account suspension."
Forum discussion at Twitter.
