Aflac

Aflac Incorporated, commonly known as Aflac, is an American multinational insurance company that specializes in supplemental insurance policies. The company markets policies that pay cash benefits directly to policyholders to help cover out-of-pocket medical costs arising from illnesses or injuries. Its operations are centered in the United States and Japan, with Japan representing its largest market by premium volume.

Founded in 1955 in Columbus, Georgia as American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, Aflac began by offering cancer insurance and later expanded to a broader line of supplemental products. The company adopted the corporate name Aflac Incorporated in the 1990s and began expanding internationally, notably into Japan in 1974, where its subsidiary grew into the company’s biggest operation. Aflac is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker AFL.

Products include supplemental health, accident, critical illness, cancer, disability, and life insurance. Policies provide fixed cash benefits that policyholders can use at their discretion, rather than reimburse specific expenses. These plans are often sold through licensed agents and brokers in the U.S. and Japan.

Marketing is notable for the Aflac Duck, introduced in 1999, which has become a prominent symbol of the brand and appears in television advertising and other media.

The company is subject to regulatory oversight in the U.S. and Japan and maintains a diversified workforce across multiple geographies.