To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties affected by the wildfires, Aflac will provide billing leniency for impacted insureds, 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. Affected members should contact Aflac at 800-992-3522 for assistance.
For Network Dental and Vision Members:
This also provides an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other action required under the certificate. Affected members are not required to obtain prior approval when accessing appropriate out-of-network providers when in-network providers are unavailable. The cost-sharing for out-of-network will be in amount equal to cost-sharing affected members would have paid for the provision of that service in-network. 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.
To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties affected by the lightning-ignited fires, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Sept. 2, 2025, and ending Nov. 18, 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.
To help provide relief for Alaska policyholders and certificate holders residing in Northwest Arctic Borough, North Slope Borough, Kusilvak Census Area, Bethel Census Area, Nome Census Area, and Aleutians West Census Area who are affected by the storm, Aflac will provide an extended premium grace period starting Oct. 9, 2025, and ending Dec. 15, 2025. This grace period also includes an extension of filing deadlines for claims and leniency for any other actions required under the policy or certificate. In addition, Aflac will relax prescription drug benefit guidelines to allow payment of claims when a covered prescription drug is refilled prior to the usual 30-day limit. Policyholders and certificate holders may also request a replacement copy of their policy or certificate.
For Network Dental and Vision Members:
Aflac is providing temporary relaxation of precertification and referral requirements. Members will have access to appropriate out-of-network providers if in-network providers are unavailable or if they have been displaced, and leniency will be provided for any other actions required under the certificate. Affected members should contact Aflac Benefits Solutions (formerly Argus Dental and Vision) at 855-819-1873, option 1, for assistance.
To help provide relief for Oregon policyholders residing in Oregon who were affected by the wildfires, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Sept. 3, 2025, and ending Nov. 26, 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.
To help provide relief for Arizona policyholders residing in Gila, Mohave and Maricopa counties affected by the heavy rains, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Sept. 25, 2025, and ending Jan. 13, 2026. 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.
To help provide relief for California policyholders residing in Mono County affected by the Pack Fire, Aflac will provide a premium grace period starting Nov. 13, 2025, and ending Feb. 7, 2026. 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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COLUMBUS, Ga., Sept. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As employers continue to load more health care expenses onto workers, more than half (53 percent) of employees are still choosing a major medical plan based on factors that may have little to do with the total cost of health care for which they are increasingly responsible. According to the 2015 Aflac Open Enrollment Survey released today by Aflac (NYSE: AFL), the leading provider of voluntary insurance at the work site in the United States, most workers (75 percent) at least somewhat agree that even with their health insurance coverage, their medical copays and other out-of-pocket costs are more than they can afford at times. In spite of this, however, a significant number of consumers lack the desire to research their insurance benefits.
The 2015 Aflac Open Enrollment Survey was conducted among 2,000 U.S. adults employed either full or part time in June and July 2015 by Lightspeed GMI on behalf of Aflac.
Please! I'll Do Anything but Research My Benefits…
Spending more time researching benefits choices and reading the fine print could help employees during this open enrollment period. Even though the terms of health insurance policies have likely changed, over half (56 percent) say they spend less than 30 minutes researching their benefits, and over one-third (34 percent) say they spend less than 15 minutes.
In fact, according to Aflac's survey, many would rather do almost anything else than research their benefits:
Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Financial Pains?
Workers' concerns about their inability to meet health care-related financial obligations don't necessarily translate into how they choose a health insurance plan. Nearly one-third (30 percent) of workers say monthly premiums are the most important factor when selecting their major medical plan each year, while almost 1 in 4 (23 percent) state that they are most concerned with whether their doctors/health providers participate in the plan. Although potentially high costs of coinsurance and deductibles can present significant risk to personal and family finances, only 16 percent view the percentage of coinsurance they'll pay for health care services as the most important factor. Just 14 percent say it's the amount of the annual deductible.
"Despite the shift to more consumer-directed health care, U.S. workers are still not moved by the full financial consequences of their health insurance choices during open enrollment," said Matthew Owenby, senior vice president, chief human resources officer at Aflac. "In a perfect world, workers would weigh not only the monthly cost of an insurance plan, but also how much of the total cost of their health care they'll be responsible for to cover any unexpected out-of-pocket costs. In a sense, they are rolling the dice with their financial future."
The High-Deductible Blues
Nearly half (46 percent) of employees selected a major medical/health insurance plan with a high deductible of $1,000 or more last year, up from 34 percent who said the same in 2014. And many who chose a high-deductible option were not satisfied with that choice:
Workers' Insurance Coverage Expectations
"By spending more time researching their options in order to better understand what the insurance plan pays for and what they're liable for, consumers can make better choices and be better prepared for a serious health event. Employers can help too by providing additional options like a health savings account and voluntary insurance to help employees pay for the deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs," said Owenby.
To learn more about the 2015 Aflac Open Enrollment Survey, visit AflacWorkForcesReport.com or follow @aflac on Twitter.
About the 2015 Aflac Open Enrollment Survey
The 2015 Aflac Open Enrollment Survey of the Aflac WorkForces Report was conducted by Lightspeed GMI from June 23 – July 2, 2015, among 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who are employed full or part time at a company with three or more employees. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Darcy Brito at dbrito@aflac.com or 706.320.2358.
About Lightspeed GMI
Lightspeed GMI is an award-winning global digital data collection enterprise. Founded in 1996, its innovative technology and proven sampling methodologies deliver operational excellence throughout the online research process. With more than 5.5 million online research respondents in 45 countries, Lightspeed GMI's proprietary panels deliver unparalleled quality, capacity and targeting. Headquartered in Warren, New Jersey, Lightspeed GMI is part of the Kantar, the data investment management arm of WPP, the world leader in marketing communication services. For more information, visit www.lightspeedgmi.com.
About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For nearly six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leading provider of voluntary insurance at the work site. Through its trailblazing One Day Pay℠ initiative, Aflac U.S. can receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims in one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac individual and group insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For nine consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2015, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 17th consecutive year. Also, in 2015, Fortune magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 14th time, ranking the company No. 1 in innovation for the insurance, life and health category. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day Pay℠, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.
Media contacts – Darcy Brito, 706.320.2358 or dbrito@aflac.com
Analyst and investor contact – Robin Y. Wilkey, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX: 706.324.6330, or rwilkey@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac
