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Aflac disability insurance review 2021
This company offers short-term disability policies through the workplace — so ask your employer if you’re eligible.
finder.com's rating: 3.5 / 5
★★★★★
- Consider Aflac if…Your employer partners with the company, and you only need coverage for up to two years.
- Look elsewhere if…Your workplace doesn’t participate, or you’re interested in long-term disability insurance.
Yes
Short term disability
No
Long term disability
Details
| Benefit period | 3, 6, 12, 18 or 24 months |
|---|---|
| Waiting period | 7, 14, 30, 60, 90 or 180 days |
| Coverage amount | $500 to $5,000 |
| Individual credit | |
| Available states | All 50 states |
| Policy riders |
No info available |
| Simplified issue | Yes (may not be available in all states) |
Pros
- Unique loyalty rider
- Easy and fast claims filing
- Guaranteed issue disability option
Cons
- Only available through your employer
- No long term disability options
Review by
Katia Iervasi
katia.iervasi@finder.comKatia Iervasi is a staff writer who hails from Australia and now calls New York home. Her writing and analysis has been featured on sites like Forbes, Best Company and Financial Advisor around the world. Armed with a BA in Communication and a journalistic eye for detail, she navigates insurance and finance topics for Finder, so you can splash your cash smartly (and be a pro when the subject pops up at dinner parties).
Expert review
Like most insurers, Aflac’s short-term disability coverage is capped at 24 months. While the company has sound financials and a reputation for effective customer service, it only sells disability insurance through the workplace — so its policy isn’t as customizable as its competitors.
If you want to take out an individual policy, compare disability insurance providers.
Built-in benefits and policy riders available
Aflac offers a handful of benefits and riders available on select policies and in certain states, though there are some limitations and exclusions to watch out for. Unfortunately, you’ll have to contact Aflac to find out which ones you could qualify for, since the company isn’t forthcoming with this info. You may find some or all of these options on your policy:
Benefits
- Guaranteed renewable. As long as you pay your premiums, you can renew your policy up to age 75.
- Waiver of premium. If you lose your sight, hearing, speech, hands or feet, Aflac will waive your premiums for the benefit period. Note: This feature doesn’t apply to policies with a three-month total benefit period.
- Portability. This benefit allows you to take your coverage with you, even if you leave your job — and your premiums won’t go up.
- Partial disability. If you can’t do your job at full capacity, due to a covered injury, you may be eligible for partial benefit payments to cover any lost wages.
Riders
- Aflac value rider. To reward loyalty, this pays $1,000 every five years while the policy is in force (up to a maximum of five times), minus any disability claims paid.
- Disability benefit for on-the-job injury rider. Pays benefits if your disability is caused by a covered on-the-job injury.
- Additional units of disability benefit rider. Allows you to buy more coverage for your short-term disability policy.
Aflac disability insurance reviews and complaints
Aflac is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and boasts an A+ rating for its customer interaction, as of October 2020. The BBB has recorded 355 complaints in the past three years, though most of them focused on Aflac’s other product lines.
Customers gave the company 1.12 out of 5 stars, but again, their reviews reflected Aflac as a whole.
Financial strength
When you’re comparing insurers, look at their financial strength to make sure they can afford to pay out potential claims. These ratings are important because you might not file a disability claim for many years. Aflac has strong financial ratings across the board, which means it has the cash reserves to pay out claims.
| Agency | Rating |
|---|---|
| AM Best | A+ (Superior) |
| Moody’s | A3 (Upper-Medium) |
| Standard & Poor’s | A+ (Strong) |
| Fitch | AA- (Very strong) |
| J.D. Power | N/A |
How do I apply for Aflac’s disability insurance?
Since Aflac’s short-term disability policies are only available via the workplace, ask your employer to talk you through your options.
If you want more information in the meantime, you can call 855-782-5850, or fill out the form on the Contact Us page with your name, phone number, email, ZIP code, and the best time to contact you. An Aflac agent will then get in touch.
Compare alternatives to Aflac disability insurance
How do I file a claim?
When filing a claim, you have three different routes of action:
Aflac SmartClaim
This is the fastest way to get your money, and guarantees payment within 24 hours if you file by 3 p.m. ET on weekdays. Access this online or through the Aflac SmartClaim app and make sure you’re enrolled in direct deposit, otherwise they’ll mail you a check.
Aflac’s One Day Pay program sends you money within — you guessed it — a day, but it’s only accessible through filing a SmartClaim electronically. Steps to completion include:
- Log into my Aflac.com or download the Aflac SmartClaim app.
- Choose Start a Smart Claim online or File a Claim on the app.
- Gather and submit your documentation. Upload any necessary claims documents digitally —either scan or take pictures of your files with a smartphone.
- Verify your information and hit SUBMIT DOCUMENT(S)
Fax
- Locate Aflac’s claim forms from it’s File a claim homepage
- Select your state, then download Aflac’s online forms
- Fill them out and fax them over.
Submit a claim via snail mail by printing out the applicable forms and mailing them to:
Aflac
1932 Wynnton Road
Columbus, GA 31999
Required documentation when filing a claim
In most cases, Aflac will need additional information to pay out your claim, including:
- Receipts
- Medical records
- Healthcare provider information
If you’re missing the necessary docs when you start the claim, you can add them later by selecting My Claims after logging in.
More about Aflac
Founded in 1955, Aflac leads the voluntary insurance market in the US. Along with disability policies, it sells life, accident, cancer, critical illness, hospital, dental and vision insurance.
The Fortune 500 company is also committed to the childhood cancer cause. It opened the Aflac Cancer Center in the 90s, and has since raised more than $130 million to support children with cancer and invest in research and treatment.
Frequently asked questions
- How does Aflac’s short-term disability policy cover pregnancy?
Aflac covers women for natural childbirths for six weeks, and caesareans for eight weeks. But in some states, it won’t pay benefits for pregnancy or childbirth within the first 10 months of taking out the policy. - What other policies does Aflac offer?
Aflac also offers life insurance plus accident, dental, vision, cancer, critical illness and hospital coverage. - How does Aflac handle pre-existing conditions?
If you have a pre-existing condition that contributed to your disability or reinjury, it won’t be covered unless it occurs at least 12 months after your policy’s start date.
Disability insurance ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our experts analyze disability insurance companies to help you find the best income protection policy for you.
We assess each company’s financial strength and customer satisfaction, as well as policy features, benefit and elimination periods and available riders. We then give each insurer a score between one and five stars that reflects available options and industry reputation.