Aflac Insurance Company Review 2024
Trusted Choice's Aflac Insurance Score
4 Stars
We award Aflac a final rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Not only does the carrier have a well-established history, but also impressive financial stability and the highest possible ratings from both AM Best and the BBB, which makes them a top contender within the insurance industry. Aflac’s massive reach has provided millions of customers in and out of the workplace with quality supplemental coverage. That being said, the carrier does have a concerning volume of complaints filed against it through the BBB within recent years, and there are quite a few customer reviews stating that their claims are not processed or paid nearly as quickly as Aflac promises. However, Aflac provides a highly user-friendly website and multiple options for customers to contact them and find exactly what they need, which aids their reputation as a carrier that is trustworthy and offers dependable coverage.
Aflac Insurance Company at a Glance:
- Founded in 1955
- Offers multiple types of coverage
- “A+” (excellent) rating by Better Business Bureau
- “A+” (superior) rating by AM Best
- One of the largest supplemental insurance providers
- A Fortune 500 company
- Fewer customer complaints relative to company size
- Offers some coverages to individuals
- Offers some coverages only through employers
- 24/7 claims reporting via official website
Aflac Pros & Cons
No insurance company is perfect, no matter how many stars they have in their ratings. To help those folks in search of the right carrier for them, we've gone ahead and assembled a few key pros and cons to keep in mind about Aflac.
Aflac Pros: Well-established company with more than 65 years of experience in the insurance business. Provides several types of supplemental coverage, including life insurance for adults, short-term disability insurance, accident insurance, dental insurance, and more. A+ ratings by both the BBB and AM Best. Large volume of customer satisfaction relative to company size. Offers coverage through employers and to individuals. Offers a One Day Pay promise for certain individual claims. Informative website that includes an option to be matched to an agent.
Aflac Cons: Some coverage is only available through employers. Only offers supplemental coverage. Certain coverages not available nationwide. Not BBB accredited. Carrier has had 325 complaints filed against them through the BBB in the past three years. Some customers report frustration with not having claims resolved or paid within the carrier’s promised time frame.
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What Type of Insurance Does Aflac Offer?
Aflac offers a multitude of supplemental insurances to employers and individuals. Some of the best Aflac plans available include:
- Hospital insurance (workplace only)
- Short-term disability insurance (workplace only)
- Vision insurance (workplace only)
- Life insurance for adults (workplace only)
- Accident insurance
- Dental insurance
- Cancer insurance
- Life insurance for children
Whether you’re an individual in the market for supplemental insurance or an employer searching for supplemental benefits coverage for your employees, Aflac may just be the right carrier for your needs.
What to Know about Aflac
Aflac was founded in 1955, making it a well-established insurance carrier with more than half a century of experience in offering quality supplemental insurance policies to individuals and workplaces. The carrier has been ranked among “The World’s Most Admired Companies” by Fortune magazine over a dozen times. The carrier is most well known for offering payroll deduction coverage in the form of cash benefits when an employee suffers a covered illness or workplace accident.
The carrier provides coverage in both the US and Japan. Aflac is Japan’s largest insurance company, and the US’s largest provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. The carrier's workforce is nearly 12,000 strong. Their official website states that they currently serve more than 50 million policyholders. AM Best places the carrier in the $2 billion or greater financial size category.
Aflac’s rich history and amount of in-force insurance aids the carrier’s reputation as a financially stable insurance provider with a strong outlook for the future. AM Best, the leading global credit rating agency monitoring the insurance industry, gives Aflac an “A+” rating — the highest available — indicating the carrier is a superior choice for insurance customers. The “A+” rating assures customers that Aflac is capable of offering guaranteed, secure coverage from a trustworthy and reputable carrier.
Established in 1899, AM Best is one of the oldest rating companies in the world. Reviews from AM Best indicate an insurance company’s financial strength and creditworthiness, and are based on comprehensive evaluations of the company’s operating performance, business profile, and balance sheet. For customers who aren’t as familiar with insurance companies’ reputations, AM Best’s rating system allows them to make an informed decision about who they can trust to meet their needs in the short term, and who will remain a strong, financially sound company in the long term.
What Discounts Does Aflac Offer?
Though Aflac does not readily provide information about any specific discounts offered, there are several discounts and ways to save money on premiums that are commonly offered to customers who purchase coverages that they offer. These discounts and premium-saving hacks can include:
- Healthy blood pressure discount: Offered to life insurance customers who have what’s considered to be a healthy blood pressure upon evaluation.
- Healthy BMI discount: Offered to life insurance customers who are found to have a healthy body mass index (BMI) upon evaluation.
- Safe hobbies discount: Offered to life and disability insurance customers who do not partake in dangerous hobbies such as skydiving, rock climbing, etc.
- Safe occupation discount: Offered to life and disability insurance customers who work in safer occupations that are not typically life-threatening.
- Formal safety plan discounts: Offered to disability insurance customers when the employer has established a formal safety plan to protect their employees on the job site.
- Safe materials discounts: Offered to disability insurance customers when the employer ensures that team members only work with safe materials that do not put them at risk.
An independent insurance agent can help you find out for certain which specific discounts are available through Aflac, in order to help you get the most bang for your buck on your coverage.
Aflac Customer Service
Aflac allows customers to handle customer service issues and file claims online or over the phone. The following customer service options are provided by the carrier:
- 24/7 claims reporting through the website
- Options to file claims via phone, fax, or email also available
- Email options for customer service inquiries also available
- Main hotline for customer service has the following hours restrictions:
Hours (EST) | |||
Monday-Friday | 8:00 am - 8:00 pm |
Fortunately for those who don’t like contacting their carrier directly, you can get in touch with your independent insurance agent instead. Independent insurance agents are available to handle claims and insurance concerns for you, which allows for much easier and smoother customer service.
Aflac FAQ
Aflac offers its customers an extremely fast turnaround when it comes to claims processing through their One Day Pay service. If customers submit their claim online by 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, Aflac promises to process the claim that same day. The carrier notes that all required documentation must be submitted along with the claim in order to ensure this processing time. However, the One Day Pay option is only available for individuals, not employers.
Aflac offers a toll-free phone line for prospective and current customers to reach them at slightly restricted hours Monday to Friday, as well as email, fax, and mail options. Customers also have the option to file claims, request quotes, and get matched with an agent through the official website. The carrier also has a social media presence on both Facebook and Twitter, making itself even more available to customers.
While Aflac does have options to file claims via phone, email or fax, they encourage filing through their website. The official website lists the carrier’s claims process as follows:
“Use Aflac SmartClaim
Our system will guide you every step of the way — from filling out the right forms to filing your claim — so your claim can be processed quickly.
Upload Supporting Documents
Once you’ve filled out the correct forms, you can upload any other required documents electronically. Just use a scanner or take a picture with your phone.
Documentation should include the following information:
- Provider’s name
- Provider’s address and phone number
- Policyholder’s Information
- Patient Information
- Dates of Service
- Diagnosis
- Specific treatment received from the provider
Submit by 3 p.m.
One Day PaySM is available for certain individual claims submitted online through the Aflac SmartClaim® process. Claims may be eligible for One Day Pay processing if submitted online through Aflac SmartClaim®, including all required documentation, by 3 p.m. ET. Documentation requirements vary by type of claim; please review requirements for your claim(s) carefully. Aflac SmartClaim® is available for claims on most individual Accident, Cancer, Hospital, Specified Health, and Intensive Care policies. Processing time is based on business days after all required documentation needed to render a decision is received and no further validation and/or research is required.”
Aflac customers can check on the status of their claim via phone or at any time via the website. As far as payment for claims goes, the website states the following options are available:
- “Direct Deposit: your funds will be deposited into the financial institution of your choice.
- Conventional Mail: If you haven’t signed up with Aflac for direct deposit, your funds will be mailed to you by check.”
Aflac’s website is fairly easy to navigate and quite informative. Prospective customers can easily locate information about the carrier’s products offered, get matched with an agent, or request a quote. Loyal customers can file claims, check on an existing claim’s status, and view their policy online. Information for filing claims and contacting the carrier is readily available, as is their claims process. The carrier has a presence on both Facebook and Twitter and they also have a mobile app for smartphone users. All around, Aflac seems to make itself highly available to prospective and loyal customers alike.
With strong "A+" ratings from both AM Best and the BBB, along with being a Fortune 500 company that offers a ton of coverage options for customers of all kinds, Aflac can arguably be considered a great option. There's also a large volume of customer satisfaction reported across many review sites, relative to the size of the carrier. So yes, we'd say that Aflac is worth looking into.
Aflac's accident insurance provides coverage for injury treatment and emergency services. Just a few of the conditions covered by Aflac's accident insurance are:
- Burns
- Comas
- Paralysis
- Concussions
- Dislocations
- Fractures
- Broken teeth
- Eye injuries
- Epidurals
Without accident and injury coverage, expenses for these incidents can be devastating to pay out of pocket. Because of the extensive list of covered conditions, we'd certainly say that Aflac's accident insurance is indeed worth it.
Aflac Customer Reviews
We read through tons of Aflac life insurance reviews, Aflac dental insurance reviews, Aflac short-term disability insurance reviews, Aflac insurance agent reviews, and more to get an overall picture of what customers really think of the coverage provided by this carrier. Here are just a few Aflac reviews to provide some insight on policyholder opinions of the carrier's customer service, policies, and more.
Consumer Affairs |
“I've had AFLAC with my job for 3 years now. I don't have anything negative to say about the company, as they have always done what they say they will do for me anyways. I've never had a problem getting my Hospital Indemnity insurance claims paid out. It has been a blessing in disguise as I get sick quite frequently and wind up in the hospital. I find claims get paid out quicker if you email them all the information they need. It also doesn't hurt to send them a little more than what they ask for. If they need a UB 04 send an itemized bill as well. As long as I've submitted everything they need and asked me for I've never had any problems with any of my claims being processed and paid out quickly usually within four days to a week depending on if I fax information or email it to them. The AFLAC representatives are always very helpful and very nice. I've never had any problems with any of them. Keep up the great work AFLAC.” |
Yelp |
“I used the Aflac app to file an accident claim, it was fairly easy to use with the assistance of their tutorial. I was skeptical as I have read so many bad experiences in reference to Aflac from what I can see from their process is if you don't follow the checklist and provide all the materials requested and maybe if someone doesn't confirm they are using the proper forms for their claims this is going to cause delay or denial of your claim ( some may find process cumbersome). There is a long wait period to speak to someone but Aflac has a call back feature which I did utilize, I was able to have my questions answered and because I utilized the online option my claim was paid the very next day as advertised. I was a doubtful but Aflac has alleviated my doubt that they will pay out my claims as long as I follow claim filing procedure. Keep up the great work Aflac!! When representatives returned my calls they were pleasant and patient, I had a great experience with Aflac.” |
Better Business Bureau |
“After deciding to cancel my policies, I tried to get in contact with my agent. Weeks went by and my agent never returned my communications. I attempted to call customer service to find out what was going on or try to cancel through them. They were closed for a 4-5 day weekend over the Thanksgiving holiday! I understand the need to close for Thanksgiving day, but the rest is pretty excessive. Shocked that an insurance company would be unavailable for that length of time. I attempted to use the automated phone system and it repeatedly disconnected my calls. Pretty frustrated.” |
Consumer Affairs |
“I've had AFLAC about 10 years. Originally I had the Disability, Accident, and Wellness but have dropped down to just Accident and Disability. I think the procedure of filling out and filing claims is a bit time consuming but once received they did pay quickly. Once I forgot my password and had to call in and the rep there looked at my account and told me I had not filed my wellness claims for the year prior and she got me paid quickly. Another time my agent informed me I could file for a broken foot. They sent me $500! I really can't say anything bad about the company.” |
Consumer Affairs |
“I broke my ankle. It took 14 days to receive my first check (4 days was getting paperwork together 10 days for Aflac to review). I was not released to go back to work. My agent filed for an extension. It will be 19 days before Aflac has time to look at it (7 days waiting on doctor reports 12 days for Aflac to review). On page 7 k. my policy reads, "TIME PAYMENT OF CLAIMS: all benefits payable under this policy will be paid immediately upon receipt of due written proof of loss." I have given them this written proof of loss. I don't think Aflac is a horrible company. They just don't live up to the image they put forth in their television commercials or honor the timelines written in their policy.” |
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