How to Remove a Healthgrades Review

Healthgrades removes a review only when it breaks its Community Review Guidelines, not because a provider disagrees with it. Here's which reviews qualify and how flagging works.

Researched: October 2026

Quick overview

  • Healthgrades removes reviews that break its Community Review Guidelines, not reviews a provider disagrees with.
  • Anyone can flag a comment, and Healthgrades' team then looks at it again.
  • The guidelines cover libel, obscenity, personal information, brand mentions, legal matters and personal attacks.
  • Providers can't pay for good reviews or to have negative ones removed, and Healthgrades decides at its sole discretion.
  • If a review stays up, search suppression moves it down in search results.

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What actually qualifies for removal

Healthgrades' Community Review Guidelines rule out content like this:

  • False, misleading, or inflammatory content
  • Libelous, defamatory, or threatening
  • Personal identifiers (phone, email, full name)
  • Obscenities or discriminatory language
  • Impersonation or misrepresented identity
  • Off-topic — pharma brands, legal proceedings, personal links

How to flag it yourself

This costs nothing but time, and it's the right first step even if you later bring in help.

  1. 1

    Flag the comment

    Use the flag option on the comment and select the guideline you believe it violates.

  2. 2

    Healthgrades reviews it again

    Once a comment is flagged, Healthgrades' team looks at it again to check that it fits its standards. It doesn't publish a timeline.

Notice: A name showing up on a review site like this one often shows up elsewhere too. If you'd like to check, our free tool lets you see what else is out there.

If the review stays up

Healthgrades may reject or remove content at its sole discretion, and it doesn't describe an appeal process. A genuine review of a real patient experience usually stays up.

Search suppression moves the review down in search results. We tell you which situation you're in before any work begins.

What we don't do

We won't pay Healthgrades to remove a review, which it says providers can't do, and we don't promise removal. Healthgrades decides.

Common questions

Can I get a negative Healthgrades review removed just because it's unflattering?

No. Healthgrades removes reviews that break its Community Review Guidelines, not because a provider disagrees with them. It says providers can't pay to have negative reviews removed.

What if the review shows a phone number, email or full name?

The guidelines don't allow content with personal information such as phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses or full names. Flag the comment and note which personal information it shows.

What if the review mentions a medication brand or a legal proceeding?

The guidelines don't allow content that mentions or endorses specific brands, including pharmaceuticals, or that mentions legal matters or proceedings. Flag the comment and name the part that's out of scope.

How long does Healthgrades take to review a flagged comment?

Healthgrades doesn't publish a timeline. Star ratings count immediately, and written comments can take longer to appear. It says it may reject or remove any content at its sole discretion.

Can a reviewer edit or replace their review?

Reviewers can't edit a review. They can submit a new survey, which overrides their previous review.

How does Healthgrades confirm reviews?

Reviewers confirm their submission through an automated email or text message, and Healthgrades says all reviews are confirmed and audited before publication. It also says it uses AI for review monitoring, to give real-time guidance and streamline the process.

Do I pay if the review isn't removed?

Our removal services are no-removal, no-fee: you're invoiced only once we achieve the removal defined in your Service Agreement. Search suppression is billed for the work performed.

Related

Also dealing with a RateMDs or Zocdoc review? See our RateMDs or Zocdoc removal guides, or the full Review Removal & Suppression service. If a review stays up, search suppression moves it down, and Google De-indexing covers pages that shouldn't appear in Google at all.

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