Aflac Raises the Bar for Insurance Industry by Introducing One Day Pay

Accelerated Claims Turnaround Time Helps Meet Demands of Today's Quick-Service Consumers

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Feb 04, 2015, 10:15 ET

COLUMBUS, Ga., Feb. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac (NYSE: AFL), the leading provider of voluntary insurance at the work site in the United States, announced today that it is introducing One Day Pay^(SM), a trailblazing initiative that allows the company to receive, process, approve and disburse payment to policyholders for eligible claims within just one business day. If Aflac policyholders follow a few simple steps, they can receive their benefits faster than ever before.

"When Aflac was founded 60 years ago, we made a promise to each of our policyholders to be there with a payment in the event of a covered illness or accident," said Dan Amos, chairman and chief executive officer at Aflac. "Aflac's One Day Pay initiative is our way of saying that no matter what gets in your way, trips you up or slows you down, getting claims processed and paid won't be one of them. We continue to proudly stand behind the fact that no one processes and pays claims faster than Aflac."

The company is not only processing claims faster, but also simplifying the claims submission process for policyholders. Aflac SmartClaim^®, the company's online claims submission system, removes the guesswork for policyholders and provides easy-to-answer questions to guide users step-by-step through the process. Once the questions are answered, SmartClaim identifies the supporting documents the policyholder needs to upload. With a few clicks of a mouse, the claim is submitted and processing begins.

SmartClaim submission is available for all types of individual Accident, Cancer, Hospital and Sickness; Hospital Indemnity, Intensive Care and Specified Health Event claims – regardless of whether they are simple, moderate or complex claims. If an eligible claim is submitted via SmartClaim by 3 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday, with all supporting documentation, Aflac processes, approves and disburses payment for the claim within one business day. To receive payments even faster, direct deposit enrollment is available and recommended.

"One Day Pay is simply the natural evolution of the way we've always done business," added Amos. "At Aflac, we make it a priority to process and pay, not deny and delay."

Aflac Duck Doesn't Want Consumers to Wait
To spread the One Day Pay message, Aflac is launching the largest, most integrated marketing campaign in the company's history. Using a variety of new, high-profile and engaging programs, the campaign delivers the message that Aflac provides the easiest and fastest claims experience in the industry, reinforcing Aflac's promise to pay policyholders quickly when crisis strikes.

Given that 81 percent of Facebook and Twitter users expect a same-day response from companies to questions and complaints¹, it's clear that speed of service is something that really matters to consumers in today's digital world.

"With One Day Pay, if Aflac policyholders follow three simple steps, they can press submit on a claim and have it processed and paid within one business day," said Michael Zuna, chief marketing officer at Aflac. "Other companies may say they can get your money to you quickly, but what really separates Aflac from the rest is the speed at which we process the claims. From start to finish, we're the first and only company in the industry to say that we can process, approve and pay claims within one business day."

With the help of the Aflac Duck, the company will bring the One Day Pay initiative to life in compelling ways across a wide variety of media. For example, the company plans to skip entire commercial breaks to bring Americans right back to the television events they enjoy most without waiting. Viewers watching the E! Live from the Red Carpet show from 6-8 p.m. EST prior to the GRAMMY^®s on Sunday, Feb. 8, will get the first look at this creative execution. The unique approach, designed to accelerate and enhance the television viewers' experience, will continue throughout the year with special programming such as:

Creating humorous skits about speed with Jimmy Kimmel Live!;
Reaching the suspenseful endings faster of popular movies such as The Bourne Legacy on FX; and
Speeding viewers to the finales of major sports events like the Daytona 500.

A Peek Behind the Curtains of Aflac's Claims Experience
Fans of the Aflac Duck on Facebook and Twitter will get a glimpse of the people behind the claims process through a series of videos in which real Aflac Claims Specialists share their perspectives on how processing and paying claims quickly positively impacts Aflac policyholders every day. All of these videos, along with photos, quotes and more, will help bring a human touch to Aflac's claims experience and will be aggregated on Aflac's new One Day Pay Tumblr page.

For the first time, those who follow the Aflac Duck on social media also will enjoy a special behind-the-scenes look at entertaining outtakes and extended scenes from the company's newest commercial, Eureka! One Day Pay. The bonus content features the Aflac Duck as well as his new friends: an unassuming mule and two prospectors. The commercial will debut nationally during the 57^th GRAMMY Awards^® on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. EST on CBS Television Network.

In the new spot, the Aflac Duck and two hikers come across a pair of prospectors who are mining for claims on a riverbank. The trio quickly realizes that the dated characters are on a fool's errand and mention how quickly Aflac processes and pays claims. The prospector characters joke about "some newfangled one-day pay machine;" but, little do they know that SmartClaim technology has made it a reality. Watch to see how the Aflac Duck helps make these prospectors One Day Pay believers.

To learn more, visit aflac.com/onedaypay.

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 worksite. In Japan, Aflac insures one in four households. Aflac individual and group insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For eight consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2014, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 16th consecutive year. Also, in 2014, Fortune magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 13th time, ranking the company number one in the life and health insurance 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, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.

Analyst and investor contact – Robin Y. Wilkey, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, fax: 706.324.6330 or [email protected]

Media contact – Kip Havel, 706-243-5543 or [email protected]

¹ Consumer Views of Live Help Online 2012: A Global Perspective, Oracle, 2012. http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/commerce/live-help-on-demand/oracle-live-help-wp-aamf-1624138.pdf

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SOURCE Aflac