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Aflac disability insurance review 2020
Last updated:
This company offers short-term disability policies through the workplace — so ask your employer if you’re eligible.
finder.com's rating: 4 / 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
Expert review
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 good financials and a reputation for good 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
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.
Pros and cons of Aflac disability insurance
Pros
- Unique loyalty rider. This add-on, called the value rider, rewards loyalty by paying you $1,000 every five years for keeping your policy in force, a perk you won’t find with any of its competitors.
- Easy and fast claims filing. Aflac makes it easy to file a claim quickly through its app, once your claim is filed, Aflac claims it will send you your money within 24 hours.
- Guaranteed issue disability option. If you don’t feel comfortable answering a medical questionnaire, or you’re concerned that you won’t be approved for coverage, Aflac offers a no-exam disability policy that guarantees coverage.
Cons
- Only available through your employer. If your company doesn’t offer Aflac disability, you won’t be able to purchase it individually.
- No long term disability options. If you need coverage for a longer period of time, you’ll have to look for a separate policy with another insurer.
Aflac disability insurance reviews and complaints
Aflac is accredited with the Better Business Bureau, 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 sign up 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:
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 clicking 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
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.