Google Mandates Licensure for Health Insurance Advertisers / Lead-Gens

Starting on June 2, 2021, Google will restrict who can advertise health insurance to just government exchanges, first-party providers, and licensed insurance producers. Promoters such as lead generators will need to obtain state insurance licensure if they wish to continue advertising individual health insurance, short-term coverage, Medicare Advantage, or Medicare supplement. Advertisers of Affordable Care Act policies will also need to be licensed by the U.S. government.

Once licensed, health insurance promoters will need to certify their licensure through G2 (Verisk Financial) and pay an additional certification fee, ranging from $39 to $1664 depending on the number of applicable jurisdictions.

Google announced the new policy in an April 20 blog post and separately notified advertisers that might be affected by the new requirement. Generally, state insurance regulations require licensure for anyone selling, soliciting, or negotiating insurance. Google’s mandate expands this licensure obligation to “all accounts promoting health insurance.” While the blog post states that uncertified promoters “will no longer be able to serve their ads,” the notice states that “[v]iolations of this policy will be considered to be non-egregious and will therefore not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning.”

The licensure process is not particularly onerous and some advertisers may find becoming a licensed producer advantageous. We are able to help your business become licensed in every jurisdiction and further advise you on the benefits and regulatory burdens attendant with being a licensed insurance broker.