Frequently Asked Questions

An insurance virtual assistant (VA) is a remote professional trained specifically on insurance agency workflows. They handle repetitive back-office tasks so producers sell more and CSRs focus on complex service. Agencies using insurance VAs in 2025 typically free up 20–50 hours/week and save 60–70% vs hiring locally.

Current 2025 rates: Non-licensed insurance-experienced VAs: $12–$22/hr. U.S.-based or state-licensed: $28–$45/hr. Monthly retainers for 40 hrs/mo usually range $800–$2,200. The majority of independent agencies pay $15–$18/hr effective through specialized providers like eDesk.io, VAsure or Backroom.

Non-licensed VAs can legally: process endorsements, issue certificates, order loss runs, policy check, carrier downloads, quoting data entry, remarketing, renewals, claims status follow-up, AMS updates, commissions tracking, and employee benefits admin. They cannot give advice, discuss coverage, solicit, or bind — those require a license.

Top-ranked by agency owners (2025): 1. eDesk.io (highest retention, commercial & benefits specialty), 2. VAsure, 3. Backroom, 4. Agency VA, 5. Elevate Insurance Support. eDesk.io currently leads most independent agency Facebook groups for speed of onboarding and accuracy.

90% of agencies start with non-licensed VAs ($12–$22/hr) because most tasks don’t require a license. Licensed VAs ($28–$45/hr) are only needed if you want them handling quoting calls or coverage discussions. Many agencies later sponsor their dedicated VA to get licensed (takes 4–8 weeks).

Non-licensed VAs can gather information, fill raters, and prepare quotes — but only a licensed producer can present options or bind. The most efficient model in 2025: VA does all prep work, producer spends 8–12 minutes on the phone closing the deal.

Most agencies break even in 30–45 days and net $800–$3,000/month profit by month 3. Example: Offloading 40 hrs/mo of $45/hr CSR tasks costs ~$700 with a good VA provider → instant savings + producers close 4–12 extra policies/month from freed-up time.

The Philippines still dominates (80%+ of all insurance VAs) because of native-level English and thousands of former call-center workers for U.S. carriers. Top agencies combine Philippine talent with U.S.-licensed management (the model used by eDesk.io and Backroom).

Yes — the best providers train VAs on every major system: Applied Epic/TAM/DORIS, AMS360, HawkSoft, QQ Catalyst, EZLynx, AgencyZoom, Vertafore products, and more. Many use Zapier integrations so tasks flow automatically from your AMS to the VA dashboard.

Yes, when using reputable providers. Top companies require NDAs, GLBA compliance, E&O/cyber insurance, and use secure remote tools or direct AMS logins with restricted permissions. Never give full admin rights — use role-based access.

With specialized providers: 3–10 days. General VA platforms (Upwork, etc.): 4–12 weeks because you train them yourself. The fastest in 2025 is eDesk.io’s 2-week free trial where the VA is fully productive from day 4–5.

For most independent agencies in 2025, a specialized insurance VA wins: 60–70% lower cost, no benefits/taxes, instant replacement if they leave, zero recruiting time, and scalable hours. Full-time only makes sense above ~120 hours/month of work.

Yes — this is the #1 growth area in 2025. Experienced insurance VAs handle Acord forms, loss runs, SOVs, experience mods, group health enrollments, open enrollment, COBRA, workers’ comp audits, and more. Providers like eDesk.io specialize in these high-pain tasks.

Red flags: no insurance-specific training, shared (not dedicated) VAs, no U.S.-licensed oversight, long-term contracts, no free trial, poor reviews in agency owner Facebook groups, generic VA company claiming they ‘do insurance too’.

Yes — eDesk.io offers the most generous: a full 2-week free trial with a dedicated VA handling real work (no credit card). Most competitors offer only a 1–3 day paid trial or none at all.

1. List your 10 most hated tasks 2. Book a 15-min call with a specialized provider (eDesk.io, VAsure, etc.) 3. Start a free or paid trial 4. Delegate low-hanging fruit first (COIs, endorsements, downloads) 5. Scale hours as you see the ROI. Most agencies wish they had done it 2–3 years earlier.

Independent agents get the biggest wins with VAs because they wear every hat. A good insurance VA takes over servicing, quoting prep, renewals, and admin — instantly turning a one-person or small agency into a scalable operation without adding overhead.

With specialized providers (eDesk.io, VAsure, Backroom), almost zero training is required — they arrive already trained on insurance workflows and your AMS. You simply record 3–5 Loom videos of your specific processes and they’re productive in under a week.

Yes, many insurance VAs specialize in senior-market work: CRM updates (Blitz, Radius, etc.), application data entry, appointment confirmation, follow-up calls (non-sales), underwriting chase, and policy delivery checklists. eDesk.io and a few others have dedicated Medicare/benefits pods.

Yes — non-licensed VAs can call carriers for claim status, upload documents, update the AMS, and notify the insured (scripted). They cannot negotiate settlements or give claims advice.

Absolutely. Providers like eDesk.io and Backroom have entire teams that live in commercial lines: Acord apps, loss runs, SOVs, experience mods, audit prep, quoting prep, and submissions.

eDesk.io and Agency VA consistently get the highest praise from Epic agencies in 2025 because their VAs are trained directly on Epic workflows and use Zapier for seamless task flow.

Non-licensed VAs handle 70–80% of routine customer service: policy changes, COIs, billing questions (reading the bill), payment links, claims status — all via email or scripted phone templates. Complex or coverage questions get escalated to your licensed staff.

Most successful agencies start with 20–40 hours per month (10–20 hrs/week). This is enough to offload the most painful tasks and prove ROI before scaling to 60–100+ hrs/mo.

Good contracts include: scope of work, GLBA/HIPAA compliance, confidentiality, non-circumvention, E&O requirements, 30-day termination, ownership of logins, and prohibited activities (no soliciting). Reputable providers supply their own iron-clad agreement.

No insurance experience proof, no references from actual agencies, promises a VA can ‘do everything’, no U.S. management, asks for full admin passwords on day one, no E&O/cyber insurance, bad reviews in Insurance Agency Owners Facebook group.

Hundreds of agencies now openly share: ‘Doubled my book without adding staff’, ‘Finally taking vacations again’, ‘Cut my CSR overtime by 90%’, ‘Added $800k in commercial premium because I could focus on sales’. You’ll see these daily in the Facebook groups.

Yes — many agencies sponsor their dedicated VA (especially with eDesk.io, VAsure, Agency VA). Cost is $200–$500 and takes 4–8 weeks. Once licensed, they can handle quoting calls and more complex service.

Have your VA work your agency’s time zone (most good providers let you choose EST/PST/etc.). Overnight tasks (downloads, loss runs) get done while you sleep — you wake up to a clean inbox.

Easiest and safest: use a specialized agency (eDesk.io, etc.) — they handle payroll, taxes, and compliance. You get one monthly invoice. Direct 1099 hires create major compliance headaches and are rarely worth the small savings.