Aflac Offers What Employers Call Essential: Dental Coverage for Employees

COLUMBUS, Ga., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aflac (NYSE: AFL), the number one provider of voluntary and guaranteed renewable insurance in the United States, provides a simple, no direct cost option for employers to make dental insurance coverage available to employees without the hassle of network restrictions, deductibles or annual premium reviews. Addressing a top employer challenge of making competitive benefits available to attract and retain talent, Aflac's dental insurance policy helps meet the needs of both employers and employees.

Research shows that dental insurance is a fundamental component of a strong benefits package. In fact, employer interest in dental benefits is on the rise with approximately 62 percent of employers viewing dental coverage as essential to their benefits package in 2009, compared with only 53 percent in 2005, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. By making Aflac available, employers can provide valuable dental benefits to employees at no direct cost to the company and with no administrative burden. Unlike other dental plans, Aflac's voluntary offering means employers do not have to negotiate deductibles, copayments or provider networks.

"An increasing number of employers are looking at dental insurance as a key factor in a benefits package and Aflac's dental offering helps them provide excellent options for their employees without any direct cost to the company," said Tom Giddens, Aflac's senior vice president and co-director of sales. "In addition, Aflac's dental product eliminates many of the administrative headaches associated with traditional insurance offerings and lets employers stay focused on running their business.  It also helps keep employees productive and feeling secure knowing they have benefits they can rely on."

Aflac dental can enhance employee benefits offerings with simple, ease of administration. Features include:

• No Networks:  Policyholders have the freedom to choose any dentist without restriction. This eases the burden for employers and brokers to evaluate or negotiate networks with the insurance provider.
• No Deductibles:  Many dental plans require deductibles to be met each year. Aflac pays a benefit for any qualifying treatment with no deductibles.
• No Annual Premium Reviews:  Policy rates do not increase based on utilization or group demographics. Employers can focus time on running the business rather than regularly reviewing and renegotiating the dental plan.

For further information on Aflac dental, visit http://www.aflac.com/business/.

About Aflac

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For four consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, and Forbes magazine named Aflac as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the twelfth consecutive year and also included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the ninth time. 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 http://www.aflac.com

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SOURCE Aflac