SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies) |
3 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mar. 31, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation | Description of Business Aflac Incorporated (the Parent Company) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company) primarily sell supplemental health and life insurance in the United States (U.S.) and Japan. The Company’s operations consist of two reportable business segments: Aflac Japan and Aflac U.S. The Parent Company's primary insurance subsidiaries are Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. (Aflac Japan) and American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (Aflac); Continental American Insurance Company (CAIC), branded as Aflac Group Insurance (AGI); American Family Life Assurance Company of New York (Aflac New York); Tier One Insurance Company (TOIC) and Argus Dental & Vision, Inc (Argus), which provides a platform for Aflac Dental and Vision in the U.S. (collectively, Aflac U.S.). Aflac Japan's revenues, including net gains and losses on its investment portfolio, accounted for 67% and 68% of the Company's total revenues in the three-month periods ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The percentage of the Company's total assets attributable to Aflac Japan was 84% at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Basis of Presentation The Company prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). These principles are established primarily by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). In these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, references to U.S. GAAP issued by the FASB are derived from the FASB Accounting Standards CodificationTM (ASC). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates based on currently available information when recording transactions resulting from business operations. The most significant items on the Company's balance sheet that involve a greater degree of accounting estimates and actuarial determinations subject to changes in the future are the valuation of investments and derivatives, deferred policy acquisition costs (DAC), liabilities for future policy benefits and unpaid policy claims, and income taxes. These accounting estimates and actuarial determinations are sensitive to market conditions, investment yields, mortality, morbidity, commission and other acquisition expenses, and terminations by policyholders. As additional information becomes available, or actual amounts are determinable, the recorded estimates will be revised and reflected in operating results. Although some variability is inherent in these estimates, the Company believes the amounts provided are adequate. The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Parent Company, its subsidiaries and those entities required to be consolidated under applicable accounting standards. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company contain all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, which are necessary to fairly present the consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019, and the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income (loss), shareholders' equity and cash flows for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. As a result, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (2019 Annual Report). COVID-19: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 on the Company is evolving and its future effects are uncertain and the Company is closely monitoring the effects and risks of COVID-19 to assess its impact on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital position. Liquidity and Capital Resources The Company entered the crisis having maintained capital ratios in Japan and the U.S. at a level designed to absorb a degree of market volatility. To further support liquidity and capital resources, the Parent Company, in March 2020, issued four series of senior notes totaling ¥57.0 billion and, in April 2020, issued $1 billion in senior notes through public debt offerings under its U.S. shelf registration statement. The Company has available liquidity in its unsecured revolving credit facilities of $1.0 billion and ¥100.0 billion, respectively, and currently has no borrowings under either of these facilities. In April 2020, Aflac increased its internal limit for Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLB) borrowings to $800 million, $300 million of which the Company has designated to be used for short-term liquidity needs and subject to qualified collateral availability and other conditions. The Company continues to evaluate other sources of liquidity including reinvestment cash flows and selling investments. Major government initiatives Government authorities in Japan and the U.S. have implemented several initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including actions designed to mitigate the adverse health effects of the virus and those designed to provide broad-based relief and economic support to all aspects of the economy. Given that these measures were recently implemented, it is too early to determine what impacts these initiatives will have on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, capital position, investment portfolio, workforce, distribution partners and vendors. |
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Reclassifications | Reclassifications: Certain reclassifications have been made to prior-year amounts to conform to current-year reporting classifications. These reclassifications had no impact on net earnings or total shareholders' equity.
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Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements |
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Description of Accounting Pronouncements Pending Adoption |
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