15 Insurance Follow-Up Text Templates That Get Replies
Most of the leads I worked in the last few AEPs never picked up a call from a number they didn't recognize. They did answer texts. A short, specific text from a named agent gets replies the third voicemail never will. Most agents either don't text or send something that reads like carrier marketing.
Below are fifteen templates I'd actually load into a CRM, grouped by the moment they're built for: the lead that came in ninety seconds ago, the client you need to see before December 7, the 64-year-old in Katy whose employer plan ends in March. Compliance comes first, because a text sent without consent isn't a lead. It's a complaint.
What has to be in place before you text a lead?
Under the TCPA, a marketing text to a cell phone needs prior express written consent: a lead form or signed document where the person agreed to get texts from you at that number. A purchased list is not consent, and neither is a business card from a health fair. If your lead vendor can't show you the consent language and a timestamp, treat those numbers as call-only.
- Consent on file, with source and date. If a complaint ever lands, that record is your answer.
- Your name and agency in the first sentence. Anonymous texts get reported, which hurts your number's deliverability.
- STOP language on every text that sells or asks for a meeting. "Reply STOP to opt out." costs 22 characters. Confirmations, reminders, and recaps of a booked appointment are transactional and can skip it. Honor a STOP the minute it lands, on every number that person has, and let the CRM do the suppressing.
- Quiet hours by the lead's time zone. Federal rules allow 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time. Florida and Oklahoma close at 8 p.m. The lead's ZIP decides, not your office clock.
- Texas SB 140. Since September 1, 2025, Texas treats marketing texts as telephone solicitations, which pulls them under the state's telemarketing registration and disclosure rules. If you text Texas numbers, ask your counsel whether you must register or are exempt.
- Medicare guardrails. No plan-specific discussion of Medicare Advantage or Part D until a Scope of Appointment is documented, and no marketing of next year's plans before October 1. CMS also treats a text to a beneficiary who never asked to hear from you as unsolicited contact, and a request for information only covers that request and expires after 12 months. If the text turns into a call, CMS requires that MA and Part D sales calls be recorded.
None of the templates below name a plan, quote a benefit, or promise a premium. The text books the conversation; the licensed agent has it.
Text templates for new inbound leads and missed calls
The Lead Response Management study by James Oldroyd found that reaching a web lead within five minutes instead of thirty made qualifying it roughly 21 times more likely. That study measured calls, but the person is still holding the phone they used to submit the form. More in our post on speed to lead.
1. New inbound lead, within five minutes
Template: "Hi [First Name], this is [Agent] with [Agency], the licensed agent assigned to the health coverage request you just sent in. Quick one so I pull the right options: is this for just you, or for you and family? Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: It references what they just did, names a human, and asks a question they can answer in two words.
2. Missed-call companion, right after the first dial
Template: "Hi [First Name], [Agent] here with [Agency]. That was me calling just now about the [Medicare/marketplace] info you requested. Easier by text? Or send me a time and I'll call then. Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: It explains the unknown number, and both exits keep the conversation open.
3. Second attempt, next business day
Template: "Hi [First Name], it's [Agent] again. Tried you yesterday about your coverage request and didn't want to keep calling. Are mornings or evenings better for a 10-minute call this week? If things changed, no problem, just let me know. Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: "Didn't want to keep calling" says you respect their time, and mornings-or-evenings beats "when are you free?"
Text templates for appointment confirmations, reminders, and follow-up
No-shows are the most expensive leak in an agent's week: you already paid for the lead and blocked the hour. Three texts handle most of the preventable ones; a fourth keeps the quote from dying in an inbox.
4. Appointment confirmation, sent at booking
Template: "Hi [First Name], you're set with [Agent] for [Day, Date] at [Time] [Time Zone]. I'll call you at this number. For a Medicare plan review I'll send a short Scope of Appointment form first so we can talk specifics. Reply here if anything changes."
Why it works: Everything they need in one screenshot, and the SOA becomes a normal step instead of a surprise. If the review is in person, CMS wants the SOA documented 48 hours ahead unless a walk-in exception applies, so send the form with this text.
5. Reminder, the day before
Template: "Hi [First Name], reminder that we're on for tomorrow at [Time]. If you can have your insurance card, your prescription list, and your doctors' names handy, the comparison goes a lot faster. Need to move it? Just reply with a better time."
Why it works: You need the prescriptions and doctors for the formulary and network check anyway, and a reschedule by text beats a silent no-show.
6. Post-appointment recap, within the hour
Template: "Thanks for the time today, [First Name]. Quick recap: [one line on what you agreed], and I'll [next step] by [Day]. If a question comes up before then, text me here. [Agent], [Agency]."
Why it works: A dated next step in writing turns a good conversation into an enrollment.
7. Options sent, no reply after two days
Template: "Hi [First Name], did the options I emailed [Day] come through? They land in spam more than you'd think. If something didn't sit right, tell me which part and I'll adjust. If it was the monthly cost, there are other directions we can go. Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: It hands them a face-saving reason to re-engage and pulls the objection into the open, where our objection handling scripts take over.
Text templates for AEP, turning 65, and marketplace special enrollment
A real deadline gets replies that "just checking in" never will, and the closest regulatory reading, so keep these factual: the date, what changes after it, and a request for a meeting.
8. AEP check-in for existing Medicare clients, first week of October
Template: "Hi [First Name], it's [Agent] with [Agency]. Your Annual Notice of Change should have arrived by now. Annual Enrollment runs Oct 15 to Dec 7, and I'd like 20 minutes to make sure your coverage still fits next year. I'll send a Scope of Appointment form first. What day works? Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: It's tied to a document they actually received, and the SOA is up front. Put it on your AEP preparation checklist for October 1, not October 20.
9. Turning 65, three to four months before the birthday
Template: "Hi [First Name], [Agent] with [Agency], following up on the Medicare info you requested. Your enrollment window opens three months before your 65th birthday in [Month], and starting early avoids a gap. Want 15 minutes to walk through how the parts fit? Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: The seven-month Initial Enrollment Period is a deadline most people have never heard of, and with no plan names or premiums it stays educational until the SOA is signed.
10. Marketplace Special Enrollment Period
Template: "Hi [First Name], it's [Agent] with [Agency]. You mentioned your employer coverage ends [Date]. That opens a 60-day Special Enrollment window on the marketplace, and applying before the old plan ends avoids a gap. Can we do a 15-minute call this week to get it started? Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: That 64-year-old in Katy doesn't know the 60-day clock exists. Telling her is the whole value of the message.
Text templates for re-engaging leads that went quiet
A lead that went quiet in June isn't dead, but it isn't warm, so give them one honest reason and an easy exit.
11. Thirty days quiet
Template: "Hi [First Name], [Agent] with [Agency]. We traded a few messages last month about [coverage type] and then life happened, which I get. Still want me to put options together, or should I close the file for now? Either answer is fine. Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: "Should I close the file?" gets replies from people who would never answer "just checking in."
12. Ninety days quiet
Template: "Hi [First Name], it's [Agent] with [Agency]. We talked in [Month] about health coverage and the timing wasn't right. Enrollment rules and subsidy amounts change every year, so it may be worth a fresh look. Want me to check? If not, reply STOP and I won't reach out again."
Why it works: After ninety days you're closer to cold than warm, so the reason for texting is something that changed, not something you want.
Text templates for referrals, reviews, and MeetBrokers inquiries
The texts agents forget to send, and the cheapest leads you'll ever get.
13. Referral ask, two to four weeks after coverage starts
Template: "Hi [First Name], [Agent] here. Now that your [plan type] coverage is active, a quick favor: if a friend or family member is turning 65 or losing coverage this year, I'd be glad to help them too. Pass along this number and I'll take it from there when they reach out. Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: The referred person contacts you, because a name from a client is not consent to text a stranger. More in our guide to client retention and referrals.
14. Review ask, same day as a good interaction
Template: "Thanks again for today, [First Name]. If you've got two minutes, a short review helps other people in [City] find an agent they can trust: [Review Link]. No worries if not. [Agent]"
Why it works: You ask while the help is fresh and make it easy to decline.
15. MeetBrokers inquiry reply, within five minutes
Template: "Hi [First Name], this is [Agent], the licensed agent you reached through MeetBrokers. Thanks for the note about [coverage interest] in [ZIP]. I'm licensed in [State] and can help with that. Is this afternoon or tomorrow morning better for a quick call? Reply STOP to opt out."
Why it works: The inquiry arrives with coverage interest, ZIP, and consent record attached. If you're not listed yet, MeetBrokers for agents explains how it works.
How do you personalize these without rewriting them for every lead?
Personalization is a few fields filled correctly, not a fresh text per lead.
- Sign off with your name, not your brand. People reply to Dave. They don't reply to "The Team at."
- Stay under 300 characters. Two plain-text SMS segments hold 306, and one curly apostrophe pasted from a doc changes the encoding and splits it again. If it needs a scroll, it needs an edit.
- Read it out loud before you save it. If you wouldn't say "I wanted to reach out regarding" to someone at a barbecue, don't text it.
When should each template go out?
This is the schedule I'd set as follow-up rules.
| Scenario | Send when | STOP line |
|---|---|---|
| New inbound lead | Within 5 minutes | Yes |
| Missed call | Right after the dial | Yes |
| Second attempt | Next business day | Yes |
| Appointment confirmation | At booking | No |
| Reminder | Day before | No |
| Post-appointment recap | Within 1 hour | No |
| Options sent, no reply | 2 business days later | Yes |
| AEP check-in (clients) | Oct 1 to 7 | Yes |
| Turning 65 | 3 to 4 months before | Yes |
| Marketplace SEP | When you learn the date | Yes |
| 30 days quiet | Day 30, weekday morning | Yes |
| 90 days quiet | Day 90, weekday morning | Yes |
| Referral ask | 2 to 4 weeks after start | Yes |
| Review ask | Same day | No |
| MeetBrokers inquiry | Within 5 minutes | Yes |
How do you send these at scale without sounding automated?
Sending the right template at the right minute, forty times a day, without texting anyone after 9 p.m., is what falls apart by hand.
In LeadGPT, follow-up rules and SMS drip campaigns fire templates off events like a new lead, a missed call, or a lead crossing the 30-day mark. Sofia, the built-in assistant, texts you when a lead arrives, can hold that lead's first text conversation until it needs a licensed answer, sends appointment reminders, and respects quiet hours, and every reply stays on the lead record. The full list is on the features page.
Two rules for any automation. Pause the sequence the instant a lead replies, so nobody gets template 3 after answering template 2. And read reply rates by template every month, then rewrite whichever one is getting silence.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need written consent to text a lead who called or texted me first?
- If the person texted you first, replying to that conversation is generally fine, but a single inbound call does not give you standing consent to start marketing texts. Get the opt-in in writing, on a form or in a documented reply, before you put that number into any automated sequence. Keep the source and date with the lead record.
- How many follow-up texts is too many?
- For a new lead who has not replied, three messages over the first week is plenty, then move to the 30-day and 90-day check-ins. If someone has replied even once, follow their pace. The moment a lead says stop, or simply stops answering after two attempts, back off and let the scheduled check-ins do the work.
- Can I text Medicare leads about specific plans during AEP?
- Not until a Scope of Appointment is documented, and not about next year's plans before October 1. Use texts to book the review and to send the SOA form. Carrier names, premiums, and benefit details belong in the appointment, which CMS also requires you to record if it is a Medicare Advantage or Part D sales call.
- What time of day gets the most replies to insurance follow-up texts?
- I send mid-morning and right after lunch on weekdays, and your own reply rates will tell you within a month if your market is different. Anything outside 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the lead's local time is off the table under federal rules, with Florida and Oklahoma closing at 8 p.m. The bigger factor is how fast you send the first one: a text within five minutes of the form beats a perfectly timed text the next day.
- Should I text leads from my personal cell phone or a business number?
- Use a dedicated business number, ideally one local to the lead. A business line keeps consent records, opt-outs, and conversation history in one place, lets a teammate cover for you, and protects your personal number from being flagged as spam. Number reputation matters more than most agents realize once volume goes up.