Aflac Incorporated (American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus) is a provider of supplemental insurance products designed to help policyholders manage out-of-pocket health care and living expenses. The company underwrites a range of individual and group policies that typically pay cash benefits directly to insureds when covered events occur, enabling greater financial flexibility for medical treatment, hospital stays, critical illness, and related costs. Aflac’s product mix includes supplemental health insurance, life insurance and other specialty coverages intended to complement primary medical plans.
Founded in the mid-20th century and headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, Aflac distributes its products through a combination of employer-sponsored programs, independent brokers and agents, and direct marketing. Its sales and service model emphasizes convenience for employers and clear, cash-based benefit payments for consumers. Over time the company has expanded product offerings to address changing health-care needs and has developed business processes and claim-payment systems suited to high-volume supplemental policies.
Aflac is best known for its strong presence in both the United States and Japan, with Japan representing a major market for individual medical and life-related insurance products. The company has built broad brand recognition through national advertising campaigns, notably featuring the Aflac Duck, and through longstanding relationships with employers and distribution partners. Leadership at Aflac has historically included members of the Amos family, and the company’s management and board emphasize insurance underwriting, claims management, and international diversification as core strategic priorities.