Healthcare Google Ads Compliance: What You Can and Can't Advertise in 2026

Who Regulates Healthcare Ads?

Google. Has its own policy against unsubstantiated health claims, prescription drug ads (with strict rules), and restricted medical devices.

FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Requires all health claims in ads to be substantiated by competent scientific evidence. "Cures" claims are illegal. "Proven" claims need studies to back them up.

FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Regulates claims about disease treatment, diagnosis, or prevention. Different rules for devices, supplements, and drugs.

State Medical Boards. Each state has different advertising rules for physicians. Some prohibit testimonials. Some require disclaimers.

If you violate any of these, Google suspends your account. FTC can fine you $43,792+ per violation. Your medical board can revoke your license.

What You CAN'T Say (Account Suspension Zone)

❌ Disease Claims
Can't claim your treatment "cures," "treats," or "prevents" disease without FDA approval.

✗ "Botox eliminates migraines" (claim without evidence)
✗ "PRP therapy cures arthritis" (medical claim)
✗ "Our treatment prevents cancer" (disease prevention claim)

✓ "Botox for cosmetic smoothing" (cosmetic claim, not medical)
✓ "PRP therapy for joint support" (not claiming to cure/treat disease)

❌ Unsubstantiated Effectiveness Claims
You need evidence to back up any effectiveness claim. "Proven" requires scientific studies. "Natural" or "safe" alone isn't enough.

✗ "90% of patients saw results" (without citation)
✗ "Clinically proven to reduce wrinkles by 70%" (without linked study)
✗ "Works 10x better than competitors" (without evidence)

✓ "Results in 3–5 days" (if true for your procedure)
✓ "See results in your first session" (if true)

❌ Testimonials and Success Stories
Patient testimonials are high-risk. Most states prohibit them or require heavy disclaimers. Google is increasingly suspicious of testimonial-heavy ads.

✗ "I had the surgery and now I'm pain-free!" (patient testimonial - legal risk)
✗ "All my patients love me" (patient testimonial)
✗ "See what real patients say..." (with reviews/ratings)

✓ "Join 500+ patients who've chosen us" (no personal testimonial)
✓ "5-star rated on Google" (aggregated reviews, not individual stories)

❌ Prescription Drug Ads (Strict Rules)
If advertising a prescription drug, you must include: drug name, major risks/side effects, what the drug treats, and a link to full prescribing information.

Most practices don't run prescription drug ads, so this is usually not your concern. But if you do: the rules are strict and any violation gets your account suspended.

❌ Comparative Claims
Saying your treatment is "better" or "superior" without evidence is illegal.

✗ "Better results than competitors"
✗ "Most advanced technology available"
✗ "Only surgeon in the area trained in X" (without proof)

✓ "State-of-the-art equipment" (vague, harder to disprove)
✓ "We use the latest laser technology" (true but vague)

What You CAN Say (Safe Zone)

✓ Cosmetic Results (Safest for Cosmetic Practices)
"Smooths wrinkles," "reduces appearance of," "appears younger," "enhances appearance"

✓ Procedure names and details
✓ Procedure benefits (cosmetic, not medical)
✓ Your credentials and experience
✓ Before/after photos (from real patients, clearly labeled)
✓ Technology/equipment used
✓ Pricing and promotions

✓ General Practice Information
✓ Board certification status
✓ Years of experience
✓ Practice location and hours
✓ Contact information
✓ Specialties (e.g., "cosmetic surgery specialist")

✓ Aggregated Social Proof (Risky But Generally OK)
✓ "Join 1,000+ satisfied patients"
✓ "5-star rated on Google"
✓ "Top-rated cosmetic surgeon"
✗ (But avoid specific patient stories)

✓ "Results" Claims (If True and Typical)
✓ "See results in 3 days"
✓ "Full results after 2 weeks"
✓ "Typical results: [cosmetic improvement]"

Red Flags That Get Accounts Suspended

Google manually reviews healthcare ads more strictly. These phrases trigger instant rejection:

"Cure," "eliminate," "remove" (disease terms)
"Scientifically proven," "clinically tested" (without evidence)
"FDA approved" (unless actually FDA-approved)
"Miracle," "breakthrough," "revolutionary" (overstated claims)
"Results guaranteed" (can't guarantee medical outcomes)
"Treat [specific disease]," "prevent [disease]"
"[Disease] relief" (medical claim)
Patient testimonials with specific health outcomes
Before/after photos with health claims (fine with cosmetic claims only)

State-Level Compliance Issues

California: Stricter advertising rules for certain procedures. Avoid speculative language.
Texas: Medical board prohibits certain testimonials.
Florida: Allows more freedom with before/afters but requires disclaimers in some cases.
New York: Stricter on comparative claims.

If you operate in multiple states, follow the strictest state's rules to be safe.

LegitScript Certification

Google uses LegitScript (a third-party compliance checker) for healthcare ads. If you're running healthcare ads, you may need LegitScript certification.

Requirement: LegitScript certification is required for med spas, pharmaceutical companies, and supplement advertisers. It's optional but recommended for other healthcare practices.

Cost: ~$500/year. Benefit: your ads are pre-approved as compliant, faster review from Google, lower rejection risk.

Best Practices to Avoid Suspension

1. Write Conservative Copy
When in doubt, err on the side of understatement. "Smooth appearance" is safer than "eliminates wrinkles." "Popular procedure" is safer than "breakthrough technology."

2. Avoid Specific Disease References
Don't mention specific conditions. Cosmetic practices especially: stick to appearance benefits, never health benefits.

3. Use Before/Afters Carefully
If you use before/after photos, keep captions cosmetic-only: "See the difference" not "See how we fixed her condition." Clearly note photos are from real patients.

4. No Patient Testimonials in Ad Copy
Keep testimonials off your ads. Put them on your landing page with disclaimers if needed. Ads should be your own copy, not patient stories.

5. Get Legal Review
Before launching healthcare ads, have a compliance attorney review your copy. $500 legal review beats a $100K FTC fine.