Aflac Review

Insurance is a necessary evil. Most insurance products offer nothing in return for your money except for peace of mind and many of these products do not offer enough protection when a crisis strikes. For those who could benefit from a little added peace of mind, the insurance industry brings us AFLAC Insurance, a company with dozens of different insurance policies for greater financial security.

Insurance Commentary:

I have held several different roles in accounting, finance, and management during my working career and AFLAC Insurance is a company I have grown to know quite well. I have served as the administrator of my company's AFLAC insurance plan in past job positions and I have dealt directly with AFLAC representatives. In general, my experience has been positive, but the overall picture with AFLAC Insurance does reveal a few blemishes, which is typical of many insurance companies.

Looking at the positive news first, AFLAC Insurance is a good place to turn when you want insurance protection that goes above and beyond traditional insurance. Even if you are already covered by a policy for health, disability, etc., AFLAC Insurance will still be more than happy to sell you an additional policy. And a nice fact about AFLAC Insurance is that it pays you directly. You can request to have AFLAC send money directly to your medical provider, but most opt for the direct payment method, whereby AFLAC sends you, its customer, a direct payment.

Another positive aspect of AFLAC Insurance is that its services are portable. Insurance is usually obtained through one's place of employment and most AFLAC customers received their coverage in the same manner. But the nice thing about AFLAC is that if you change jobs, you don't forfeit your AFLAC coverage. You own the policy, so you can take it with you wherever you go. In addition, the premiums you pay each month do not increase just because you are now separated from your employer. AFLAC will even pay the costs for certain procedures, such as physical examinations, eye exams, and the like.
The above facts are all positive reasons to consider AFLAC Insurance, but this company is not without its problems. As for helpfulness, AFLAC Insurance scores a mixed rating from me and this is due to my experience as both an administrator and as a potential customer. When AFLAC Insurance has tried to sell me its services, I have found that the representatives are very helpful and very careful to explain things as well as possible. However, when I have dealt with AFLAC Insurance as an administrator of the plan, my experiences have been negative. I can recall one instance where an AFLAC sales representative wouldn't make an appearance at my place of employment. I was the administrator for the plan and I tried over and over again to convince an AFLAC Insurance sales representative to make an appearance in order to explain the different products that AFLAC offers. The rep refused and instead would send brochures in the mail to hand out to employees. I was surprised by this. Not only does this demonstrate poor customer service, it also made no sense from a sales perspective. The potential commissions the rep could have earned would have easily made the visit worthwhile.  

Another strike against AFLAC Insurance is its premium rates. They are generally higher than those of other, similar providers. However, there is one explanation for this that could make AFLAC worthwhile for some people: The ease of obtaining a policy. Take the term life insurance, for example. AFLAC Insurance doesn't require a physical exam, so it makes a good choice for some individuals who are worried that they would not pass a physical or that agreeing to a physical exam would reveal a health issue that would cause the premium price to skyrocket. With AFLAC Insurance, approval is usually instant. They charges higher rates, but they approve most anyone.

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

AFLAC Insurance is a pretty good company overall. I have had a generally good relationship with AFLAC over the years and I like some of the features AFLAC offers, such as the portability of AFLAC Insurance, the number of products offered, and the fact that AFLAC Insurance pays you directly. However, the customer service experiences over the years and the higher than average prices are certainly strikes against this company. It adds up to an average rating overall, with an almost equal share of pros and cons.