Notifications from Aflac

We care about Aflac’s policyholders affected by the recent wildfires:

To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties affected by the wildfires, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Jan. 7, 2025, and ending Mar. 10, 2025. This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the policy. Aflac will provide a replacement copy of the policy upon request by the policyholder.

For Network Dental and Vision Members:

This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims; relaxation of prior authorization, precertification, and referral requirements; access to appropriate out-of-network providers due to unavailability on in-network providers or the members’ displacement; and leniency for any other action required under the certificate. A replacement copy of the certificate will be provided upon request by the certificate holder. Affected members should contact Aflac Benefit Solutions (formerly Argus Dental and Vision) at 855-819-1873, Option 1, for assistance.


We care about Aflac’s policyholders affected by the recent earthquake:

To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties affected by the earthquake, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Dec. 5, 2024, and ending Feb. 03, 2025. This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the policy. Aflac will provide a replacement copy of the policy upon request by the policyholder.

For Network Dental and Vision Members:

This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims; relaxation of prior authorization, precertification, and referral requirements; access to appropriate out-of-network providers due to unavailability on in-network providers or the members’ displacement; and leniency for any other action required under the certificate. A replacement copy of the certificate will be provided upon request by the certificate holder. Affected members should contact Aflac Benefit Solutions (formerly Argus Dental and Vision) at 855-819-1873, Option 1, for assistance.


We care about Aflac’s policyholders affected by the recent wildfires:

To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Ventura County affected by wildfires, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Nov. 6, 2024, and ending Jan. 07, 2025. This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the policy. Aflac will provide a replacement copy of the policy upon request by the policyholder

For Network Dental and Vision Members:

This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims; relaxation of prior authorization, precertification, and referral requirements; access to appropriate out-of-network providers due to unavailability on in-network providers or the members’ displacement; and leniency for any other action required under the certificate. A replacement copy of the certificate will be provided upon request by the certificate holder. Affected members should contact Aflac Benefit Solutions (formerly Argus Dental and Vision) at 855-819-1873, Option 1, for assistance.


We care about Aflac’s policyholders affected by the recent wildfires:

To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Siskiyou County affected by wildfires, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting July 3, 2024, and ending Dec. 31, 2024. This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the policy. Aflac will provide a replacement copy of the policy upon request by the policyholder

For Network Dental and Vision Members:

This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims; relaxation of prior authorization, precertification, and referral requirements; access to appropriate out-of-network providers due to unavailability on in-network providers or the members’ displacement; and leniency for any other action required under the certificate. A replacement copy of the certificate will be provided upon request by the certificate holder. Affected members should contact Aflac Benefit Solutions (formerly Argus Dental and Vision) at 855-819-1873, Option 1, for assistance.


We care about Aflac’s policyholders affected by the recent wildfires:

To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Sierra County affected by wildfires, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Sept. 2, 2024, and ending Dec. 31, 2024. This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the policy. Aflac will provide a replacement copy of the policy upon request by the policyholder

For Network Dental and Vision Members:

This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims; relaxation of prior authorization, precertification, and referral requirements; access to appropriate out-of-network providers due to unavailability on in-network providers or the members’ displacement; and leniency for any other action required under the certificate. A replacement copy of the certificate will be provided upon request by the certificate holder. Affected members should contact Aflac Benefit Solutions (formerly Argus Dental and Vision) at 855-819-1873, Option 1, for assistance.


We care about Aflac’s policyholders affected by the recent weather:

To provide relief for New Mexico policy/certificate holders residing in Chavez County and affected by the severe flooding, Aflac will provide the following protections for policy/certificate holders:

  • Provide an extended premium grace period from Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, through Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2024.
  • Postpone cancelations and non-renewals from Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, through Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2024.
  • Offer a payment plan of at least six (6) months if unable to pay the delinquency after the extended grace period. This applies to all coverages except life. The policy/certificate holder should contact Aflac to make arrangement for repayment.
  • Waive late fees and penalties.
  • Provide an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the policy/certificate.
  • Allow additional time for actions required under the policy/certificate and the submission of documents due to limited access to service and mobility.
  • Provide a copy of the policy/certificate to the policyholder/certificate holder upon request.

In addition to the above, Aflac through Aflac Benefits Solutions will provide the following protections for Network Dental and Vision members and providers:

  • Waive referrals and prior authorization requirements for use of out-of-network providers for medically necessary services, whether emergent or not.
  • Waive cost-sharing and deductibles through Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2024.
  • Permit one eyeglass or contact lens replacement and one hearing aid replacement during the pendency of this Order, waiving frequency limitations.
  • Permit one replacement for dentures or other prosthodontic devices during the pendency of this Order, waiving frequency limits.
  • Extend medical providers’ reporting requirements for claims submissions and for additional information relating to claims through Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2024.

Affected members should contact Aflac Benefits Solutions at 855-819-1873, option 1, for assistance.


We care about Aflac’s policyholders affected by the recent weather:

To help provide relief for North Carolina policyholders Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Sept. 27, 2024, and ending Dec. 31, 2024. This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the policy. Aflac will provide a replacement copy of the policy upon request by the policyholder.

For Network Dental and Vision Members:

This grace period also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims; relaxation of prior authorization, precertification, and referral requirements; access to appropriate out-of-network providers due to unavailability on in-network providers or the members’ displacement; and leniency for any other action required under the certificate. A replacement copy of the certificate will be provided upon request by the certificate holder. Affected members should contact Aflac Benefit Solutions (formerly Argus Dental and Vision) at 855-819-1873, Option 1, for assistance.


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Supplemental insurance plans help ease the sting of high-deductible health insurance

Supplemental insurance plans help ease the sting of high-deductible health insurance

Overall inflation has gone up over 3% since 2022.1 But that doesn’t mean all costs have risen at that level. In fact, one necessity has risen 7% over the last year: the average annual single and family health insurance premiums.2

You — and your workforce — are paying the price of that inflation.

High-deductible health plans (HDHPs), defined as insurance plans with a deductible of at least $1,400 for individuals or $2,800 for a family,3 are one way business leaders have tried to provide coverage for their workforce in this environment of inflation. HDHPs can help employees keep pace with the rising cost of health care and insurance by setting a high deductible in exchange for more affordable premiums.

But high-deductible health plans can have the unintended consequence of pressuring employee finances — even though insurance is designed to avoid putting people in financial risk when faced with health challenges. Employers are then left wondering how they can respond to their employees’ health care and financial needs without simply shouldering the entire cost themselves, an untenable prospect for most businesses.

One way through that challenge: supplemental insurance plans, which can benefit employees by interrupting the self-fueling cycle of financial and health stress and have the potential to help employees maintain financial stability and physical wellness.

High-deductible health plans put employers under pressure too

Employers may technically choose to offer high-deductible plans to their workforce, but the cost of health coverage shows that it’s not much of a choice at all. They face relentless pressure to contain health insurance costs, if they’re able to offer coverage at all. In 2022, similar to the previous year, the cost of annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 4%, again outstripping growth in wages and inflation.1

Nearly half of employers have stated that remaining competitive with their total benefits package is one of their biggest challenges. The consequences are predictable and growing. In 2023, 75% of employers stated that benefits costs increased in the last year.4

The benefits of supplemental insurance: Supporting employees with HDHPs

Enter a crash barrier between families and unexpected medical bills: supplemental insurance. Some employees will encounter health bills that overflow the parameters of employer medical benefits, and supplemental insurance can provide assistance. Others will have incidental health needs but won’t hit their deductibles, leaving them responsible for most costs — and supplemental insurance can provide help there, by giving employees cash for covered events, even if they don’t hit their major medical plan’s deductible.

Supplemental coverage also enables employees to concentrate their money where they think they will need it most. Families might go for supplemental accident coverage for added protection for injuries, while empty nesters might prioritize critical illness insurance to help cover serious conditions like heart attacks and strokes.

A supplemental insurance plan also fits in with health savings accounts, or HSAs. People with high-deductible health plans can’t use their HSAs to pay for supplemental insurance, but they can use supplemental insurance to help with health-related expenses. Let’s say that a staff member who has an HSA has a stroke. She could use her HSA to pay for eligible expenses, such as a blood pressure monitor.5 But she also wants to buy things that help her condition and her overall health, such as a gym membership, which is not HSA-eligible. If she has Aflac’s critical illness insurance plan, Aflac would pay benefits directly (unless otherwise assigned) that she could use as she sees fit. She could use it to help pay for a fitness program — or put it toward a blood pressure monitor, if she would prefer to reserve her HSA funds for other eligible expenses.

High deductible, high mental toll

The benefits of supplemental insurance go beyond covering costs not paid for by health insurance. Supplemental policies can help protect against the financial burdens caused by illnesses or accidents.6

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Evidence abounds:

  • 50% of all American workers report suffering high levels of anxiety about health care costs beyond what their insurance covers.4
  • 20% of Americans have stopped saving for their child’s college due to medical debt.7
  • Due to medical debt, 28% of Americans have skipped adding to their emergency savings.7

Supplemental insurance coverage doesn’t erase all the burdens of high-deductible health plans for you or your workforce, but it can help lessen the burden on their finances. To discuss the supplemental insurance coverage options that are right for your business, contact your Aflac benefits advisor today or visit Aflac.com/business.

Offer Aflac to your employees.

Companies choose to make Aflac policies available to increase benefits options without impacting their bottom line.