Aflac Incorporated is the largest provider of supplemental insurance, founded in 1955 and based in Columbus, Georgia. In the United States, Aflac underwrites a range of insurance policies, but is perhaps best known for its payroll deduction insurance coverage, which pay cash benefits when a policyholder has a covered accident or illness. The company is also the largest life insurer in Japan, and also offers a number of supplemental medical policies.

History

The company was founded by
three brothers, John, Paul, and Bill Amos, in Columbus, Georgia, in 1955 as American Family Life Insurance Company of Columbus (not to be confused with American Family Insurance). In 1964 the company’s corporate name was changed to American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, better known today as Aflac. The company had 6,426 policyholders in 1956.

American Family Life pioneered cancer insurance in 1958. Beginning in 1964 the company decided to focus sales on worksite settings. By 2003, more than 98 percent of the company's policies in the United States were issued on a payroll-deduction basis, making the company a leader in that sales approach.

In 1973, Aflac established a holding company, the American Family Corporation. The company's 1990 adoption of the "Aflac" acronym set it apart from the many other insurance firms that include the word "American" in their names. (The official insurer company name is still "American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus.")

In 2005, the logo was changed to incorporate a duck character, which is prominently featured in the company's advertising.

Businesses