How to Run Medicare Insurance Ads on Google & Facebook

You see ads all over different websites and social media all the time! Now, you’re interested in trying your hand at it yourself on media giants like Google and Facebook.

Keep in mind, with Medicare ads, you have to be extra careful and ensure you’re following all regulations across the board. But don’t let that discourage you!

Read on to discover how you can make insurance ads on Google and Facebook for your Medicare marketing strategy.

Research & Follow CMS Compliance Rules for Medicare Ads

Before you even think about putting up any ads, you’ll first want to review Medicare marketing regulations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The specific ones you want to pay attention to cover marketing on search engines and social media platforms.

First and foremost, you must be licensed, certified, and registered under state law to market any insurance company’s Medicare Advantage (MA) or prescription drug plans (PDP).

Once that’s completed, you must follow these key CMS compliance rules for digital ads:

1. No use of misleading content or superlatives — Avoid using phrases like “lowest cost” or “best plan” unless it can be supported by current data. Do not use “Medicare” or the CMS or HHS logo in a way that implies federal endorsement.
2. Include required disclaimers — Third-party marketing organizations (TPMOs) must include disclaimers stating that they don’t offer every plan available in the area, often listing on the plans they represent. You must also add mandatory disclaimers like, “By calling the number above, you will be connected to a licensed insurance agent.”
3. Collect prior express written consent — Agents must obtain consent directly from the consumer before calling, texting, or emailing them. This means “lead forms” on Facebook and Google cannot be used to sell data to multiple parties without specific, individual op-ins. You also cannot use Facebook or Google to buy leads. (Note: Comments on Facebook posts from clients are not a go-ahead to contact them. You can reply to the comments but only to schedule an appointment related to plan-specific information.)
4. Be aware of content restrictions — Don’t use “blanket benefit promises,” like guaranteed cost reductions on certain plans.
5. Acknowledge targeting and scope — Ads should generally focus on the defined service area of the plan and follow platform-specific rules. (Note: Facebook announced that insurance ads must be classified under the special ads category. This means agents can no longer target specific age groups, have geo-targeting limited to a 15-mile radius, nor have interest-based targeting. Agents are also required to obtain a G2 certification to advertise on Google. Cost for the certification is around $38 per state.)
6. Know the difference between “marketing” and “communications” — Communications are activities and use of materials to provide information to current and prospective clients. These are distinguished from marketing activities and materials based on containing both intent and content. Marketing is a subset of Communications, primarily used to draw a client’s attention to plans or influence their decision to select or enroll in a plan.
7. Maintain ad records for 10 years — All marketing materials must be maintained for a minimum of 10 years.
8. Adhere to call recording — All sales-related calls originating from digital ads must be recorded, including lead generation calls and Scope of Appointment (SOA) discussions.
9. Follow enrollment period rules — Pay attention to the different types of enrollment periods, such as AEP and OEP. Plans cannot be marketed for an upcoming year prior to October 1.
10. Obtain CMS approval — Any materials that prompt a client to contact a TPMO must have CMS review and approval first prior to distribution.

Now that we’ve gone over several important CMS Medicare advertising rules, we can get into actually setting up your ads!

Setting Up Facebook (Meta) Ads for Medicare Insurance

Due to the more restrictive rules on Facebook, you have to be more careful when creating Medicare ads for Meta. If your insurance ads are specified under that Special Ads Category, you should be good to go!

How to Set Up Facebook Insurance Ads

At this point, you should already have a Facebook business page for your respective business. To set up specific Facebook ads for insurance on the Facebook business profile, you have to:

1. Create Your Ads Manager Account
   • Go to business.facebook.com.
   • Set up a Business Manager.
   • Add a Payment Method.
   • Verify your business.
2. Enable the “Meta Special Ads Category - Insurance”
   • Remember, this means:
     • No age targeting
     • No interest targeting
     • Radius is limited to 15 miles
     • No audience expansion
   • Go to Ad Set > Special Ad Category > Credit / Employment / Housing / Social Issues > Insurance to specifically enable the special ad category.

Available Targeting Options

Regardless of the restrictions, there are still compliant targeting options you can apply to your Facebook ads. As reaching certain audience members is very important in targeting ads, use the following Medicare marketing tips.

First-Party Data

Upload existing client lists and lead lists you have obtained with documented consent. This bypasses a lot of targeting limitations and is explicitly recommended for insurance advertisers.

Broad Targeting

The targeting is location-based only (15-mile radius), has no age filters, and no interest targeting.

Lookalike Alternatives

These alternatives are disabled in special ads. However, you can create a “Special Ad Audience,” which behaves similarly, although it’s less precise. This is a feature that targets clients with similar online behaviors to existing clients. It also complies with restrictions for sensitive categories.

Setting Up Google Ads (Search & Display) for Medicare Insurance

As opposed to Facebook, Google ads allow for a bit more precise targeting. However, you still need to follow the same strict compliance CMS rules.

How to Set Up Ads on Google

As it is a different platform, setting up ads on Google is also a bit different than setting up ads on Facebook:

Google Ads Account Setup

• Visit ads.google.com.
• Create a standard campaign.
• Verify business information.
• Enter billing data.

Keyword Strategy for Medicare

As Google is an intent-based search engine, use target keywords that your clients are searching for. Unlike Facebook, this gives you a bit more precision with targeting your potential clients. You have two options for keywords: high-intent and low-intent.

Some examples of high-intent Medicare keywords are:

• “Medicare Advantage plans near me”
• “Medicare Supplement agent”
• “Medicare Part D help”
• “Medicare plan comparison”

On the other hand, some low-intent Medicare keywords are:

• “What is Medicare Part B?”
• “Medicare enrollment periods explained”

Available Targeting Options

Unlike Facebook, Google allows you to target by age, income, and geographics down to the zip code. For Medicare ads, Google is especially effective. An example of what targeting you could impose on a Google ad is:

• Ages 64 to 75 (for MA, Med Supp)
• Zip codes where your carriers offer plans
• Both mobile and desktop devices (as Medicare-eligibles both use these)

Landing Page Requirements

When users click on most Google ads, they will take your clients to a landing page of your choice, unlike Facebook. Choose to direct them to your own website or a Google Business Profile (for local ads). Whichever choice you make is incredibly important. The experience of this landing page directly impacts the ad’s Quality Score. This score directly affects cost and visibility for your ads.

Whichever choice you make is incredibly important. The experience of this landing page directly impacts the ad’s Quality Score. This score directly affects cost and visibility for your ads.

Important Note: The URL associated with the ad redirect to the landing page must generally share the same domain as the display URL shown in the ad.

Some CMS rules about landing pages are:

• They must contain mandatory disclaimers.
• They cannot be misleading about plan availability.
• They do not encourage contacting beneficiaries without documented consent.

If you use a lead form on your landing page, make sure you use one that collects their name, phone or email, permission to contact (an explicit yes), and a timestamped version of the consent.

Define Your Campaign Structure

Marketing campaigns are an integral part of advertising! Think of each post you make on social media or ad you place on Google as a campaign in and of itself. You’ll need to ask yourself these questions and figure out:

• Campaign objective — What do you want to accomplish with this ad?
• Targeting — Do you want to use broader targeting and first-party data?
• Format — Do you want to use short-form educational videos or image ads with simpler text?
• Lead forms — Does this involve potential lead forms where you need CMS-required disclaimers and permission to contact?

Once you determine your approach, begin brainstorming what kind of content you want to put on your ads!

Best Practices for Both Platforms

We’ve gone over what to do for ads on Facebook and Google. Here are some best practices you can use.

Use Educational Content

We’ve mentioned this before, but using educational content is so important when it comes to advertising. Simply going at it from a lens of “I want to make money” is not going to get you very far as an insurance agent.

Simply going at it from a lens of “I want to make money” is not going to get you very far as an insurance agent.

Educating clients can help build trust and connection. It can also position you as an authority on the subjects you’re advertising about. Facebook themselves even explicitly recommends this for Medicare ads!

Document All Consent & Materials

Documenting everything is still the case for all platforms where you communicate with clients, not just Facebook and Google. You have to keep this and all your materials handy for at least 10 years. Having the right technology to assist with that can make documenting a breeze!

Create Compliant Ad Copy

When creating content for your ads, you’ll need to meet CMS requirements. You’ll also want your ads to have:

• An educational tone without sales pressure
• Mandatory disclaimers on ALL Medicare ads
• No government logos or implications of endorsement

To avoid CMS violations, don’t use content like:

• “Free benefits you’re missing out on”
• “Government program update”
• Federal-style colors or logos
• Misleading savings claims

Instead, use phrases like:

• “Learn how Medicare Advantage plans compare to Original Medicare.”
• “Compare Medicare plan options available in your area.”
• “Talk to a licensed insurance agent for plan information near you.”

You should also use visuals to supplement your ads! Don’t be afraid to make them creative and interactive so they grab the attention of any potential clients.

The best marketing also comes from the heart. When you market yourself and your services as opposed to just the products you sell, you put the human aspect into your business. You can use different facets of your business to promote it, such as:

• How many years of experience you have
• Customer service ratings
• Testimonials form clients and/or other agents you may know

You can use compliant messages while also keeping them personal!

Audit All Vendor Leads

In recent times, TPMOs and field marketing organizations (FMOs) are being investigated deeper over their roles in influencing enrollments through misleading advertisements. As a result, agents are the ones responsible for ensuring that their partnerships with any association are not reflecting poorly back on their businesses.

Check monthly or quarterly to see if your vendor leads are still compliant with the most up-to-date CMS regulations. It’s not just about insurance agents remaining compliant themselves anymore!

Avoid Misleading Claims

Marketing is all about making what you’re selling look desirable to clients, but not at the cost of promising too much. You’ll want to avoid certain claims in any of your advertisements like:

• False “free” or “no-cost” benefits — Promises of free services that are limited or not available in their area.
• “Pre-approved” status — Claims that clients are pre-approved for a plan or that their Medicare card needs to be “updated” or “activated”.
• Massive savings or givebacks — Ads that promise specific, high-dollar amounts for givebacks or savings, which rarely apply to everyone.
• Unsolicited threats — Claims that clients will lose their benefits if they don’t sign up for a new plan immediately.
• Unverified superlatives — Use of words like “best”, “most”, or “highest” to describe a plan without supporting data from the current or prior year.
• Impersonation of Medicare — Design should not look like official government notices.

There’s a lot to do when setting up ads on Google and Facebook, but don’t feel too overwhelmed! Now that you know how to set up ads on both platforms, go out there and apply some of these ideas for your business!

Try experimenting with campaigns and strategies to see what works best for you. If you have any issues, you can reach out to Ritter’s Digital Marketing team for help!

At Ritter, we’re dedicated to providing you with the knowledge you need to succeed. Register with Ritter for free today for more informative posts like this or take a listen to our Agent Survival Guide Podcast!