Google to allow health insurance ads from licensed brokers only

In an April 20 blog post, Google announced that it will no longer accept health insurance advertisements from advertisers unless they complete a new certification program and are also “permitted under state law to sell health insurance.”

This is good news for Arizona residents shopping for individual health insurance, including short-term health plans and Medicare coverage.

Google is trying to combat misleading advertisements, especially from advertisers who pose as having an official affiliation with Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act), or the U.S. government.

In addition to cracking down on misleading Obamacare ads, the new certification program will also hopefully cut back on misleading ads by lead generation companies. Many of these companies give the impression that they are insurance agencies, but rather than sell you insurance, they collect your personal information via a form (name, email, date of birth, etc) and then sell your information to multiple agents across the country.

Advertisers will be able to apply for the new Google certification beginning May 3, and will no longer be able to run health insurance ads unless they are certified by June 2.