May 1, 2026 Update:
Starting 7/1/26, Google is now automatically turning on call recording on Google Ads accounts which is not HIPAA compliant. Please speak with your Google Ads provider for workarounds, or setup a call with Dr. Wank to discuss options.
Google is up to its old tricks again that may affect the HIPAA compliance of your Google Ads.
In the past you could be HIPAA-compliant by using a HIPAA-compliant phone # from a service such as Call Rail, and not a Google fowarding # (which is not HIPAA compliant).
Now, if you are doing anything that may potentially involve HIPAA:
1) You need to turn OFF Call Reporting (which is no biggie):
2) But you also need to specifically DECLINE "Call and messaging ads terms" because
a) as dentists we are covered entities under HIPAA
b) the terms specifically state that if we want "to proceed with use of Communication Features you should not accept these Supplemental Terms". (Communication Features are call-only ads and phone number ad assets).
c) The issue is that Google may monitor and record these communications which from our end is a potential serious HIPAA violation.
d) And if you reach out to Google support as it suggests (and we have), you get the usual run around. We've had Google support tell us that they acknowledge that their own terms tell us to reach out to Google support, yet they still refer us to the community for help getting an exclusion. We've even reminded them that the community cannot grant us an exception, and their reply was that the ticket is closed.
3) And if you decline the terms, and you want to use HIPAA-compliant CallRail or similar service, you can't because - you can't do these types of ads without accepting the terms above.
So the take-home here appears to be that if you are using Google Ads, that you should talk to your Google Ads people and consider removing any phone #-based ads or call assets until Google resolves this issue. And not all accounts apparently have these terms added.
