POLICY LIABILITIES |
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Insurance Loss Reserves [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
POLICY LIABILITIES | POLICY LIABILITIES Future Policy Benefits The liability for future policy benefits is determined as the present value of expected future benefits to be paid to or on the behalf of policyholders and certain related expenses less the present value of expected future net premiums receivable under the Company's insurance contracts. Future net premiums receivable are future gross premiums receivable under the contract multiplied by the NPR. The following tables present the changes in the present value of expected future net premiums and the present value of expected future policy benefits by reporting segment and disaggregated by product type. The present value of expected future net premiums and the present value of expected future policy benefits are presented gross of internal and external reinsurance.
The following tables present the weighted-average interest rates and weighted-average liability duration (calculated using the original discount rate) by reporting segment and disaggregated by product type.
(1) The weighted-average interest rates are calculated using the reserve balances as the weights. No adjustments were made to observable market information.
(1) The weighted-average interest rates are calculated using the reserve balances as the weights. No adjustments were made to observable market information. The following table presents a reconciliation of the disaggregated rollforwards above to the ending future policy benefits presented in the consolidated balance sheets. The deferred profit liability for limited-payment contracts and the deferred profit liability for reinsurance is presented together with the liability for future policy benefits in the consolidated balance sheets and has been included as a reconciling item in the table below.
(1) Elimination entry necessary due to the internal reinsurance transaction with Aflac Re and to recapture a portion of policy liabilities ceded externally as a result of the reinsurance retrocession transaction. See Note 8 for additional details. Discount rates are determined using upper-medium grade (low-credit-risk) fixed-income instrument yields that reflect the duration characteristics of the liability. Locked-in discount rates are determined as a weighted average of monthly upper-medium grade (low-credit-risk) fixed-income instrument forward curves, where the weights are the annualized premiums issued for each month of the cohort. Discount rates are updated each reporting period and require estimation techniques (e.g., interpolation, extrapolation) for determination of points on the curve for which there is limited or no observable market data. More specifically, the Company constructs a discount rate curve separately for discounting cash flows used to calculate each of the Japan and U.S. liabilities for future policy benefits, reflective of the characteristics of the corresponding insurance liabilities, such as currency and tenor. In the Aflac Japan segment, all long-duration insurance policies are denominated in yen. A significant portion of policies are characterized by tenors exceeding the availability of liquid market data in Japan for single-A rated (as a proxy for upper-medium grade) corporate yen-denominated debt. The discount rate curve is designed to prioritize the observable inputs where available, while past the last liquid point, the data is derived based on estimation techniques consistent with the fair value guidance in ASC 820. The Aflac Japan segment curve utilizes liquid market indices tracking publicly traded yen-denominated single-A corporate debt for the initial 10-year tenor. For the bonds within these market indices where only local ratings are available, the Company prioritizes the bonds with local ratings that are equivalent to a single-A rating based on international rating standards. For the discount rates applicable to tenors for which the Japan single-A debt market is not liquid but there is sufficient observable market data and/or the observable market data is available for similar instruments (between 10 and 30 years), the Company estimates tenor-specific single-A credit spreads and applies them to risk-free government rates. Lastly, for the tenors where there is limited or no observable single-A or similar market data or risk-free government rates (beyond 30 years), the discount curve is derived by extrapolation of risk free rates beyond their last liquid point following the Smith-Wilson method and grading of the estimated forward credit spread anchored by the ultimate forward rate. The ultimate forward rate is based on the economic value-based solvency regime, which is consistent with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Insurance Capital Standards (ICS) (which is expected to be introduced in Japan in 2025), and is adjusted for credit and inflation components. For the Aflac U.S. segment where all long-duration insurance policies are denominated in U.S. dollar and substantially all have cash flow duration within 30 years, for which the U.S. upper-medium grade fixed-income market is liquid and observable, the Company uses data from a liquid fixed-income market index tracking single-A U.S. corporate debt. For the insignificant portion of the policies with cash flow tenors exceeding 30 years, the discount curve beyond that tenor is extrapolated following the Smith-Wilson method from year 30 to the same ultimate forward rate calculated for the Japan discount curve at year 60 and held constant thereafter. The use of the same ultimate rate for U.S. and Japan segments is based on the assumption of long-term global economic convergence. For the three-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $4.2 billion and $2.4 billion in other comprehensive income (loss) net of tax, respectively, due to changes in the future policy benefits estimate from updating the discount rate assumptions. For the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $1.2 billion and $11.8 billion in other comprehensive income (loss) net of tax, respectively, due to changes in the future policy benefits estimate from updating the discount rate assumptions. There were no changes to the methods used to determine the discount rates during the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized $13.7 billion in other comprehensive income (loss) net of tax, due to changes in the future policy benefits estimate from updating the discount rate assumptions. There were no changes to the methods used to determine the discount rates during the year ended December 31, 2022. Mortality rate assumptions are based on industry tables and adjusted for the Company's actual or expected experience where credible or appropriate. These assumptions typically will vary by age, gender, and other demographic characteristics such as smoking status. Morbidity assumptions are based on the Company's internal data and consider emerging experience. These assumptions are reflective of the coverage and benefits provided and generally vary by age, gender, duration, and any other material policyholder characteristics. In cases where a calendar-year trend is significant, future cash flow projections may include a trend adjustment. In Japan, separate lapse assumptions are set based on actual or expected experience. These lapse and total termination rate assumptions will vary by line of business and with policyholder characteristics such as duration. In the U.S., the majority of the future cash flows are modeled using total termination rates (which include both lapse and mortality) and are adjusted for actual experience. Policy provisions, such as reaching premium paid-up status, are taken into account when setting assumptions. For the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the variance of actual experience from expected experience was primarily due to favorable variances in morbidity assumptions as compared to actual experience. During the three-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company's adjustment for actual variances from expected experience resulted in reserve remeasurement gains of $54 million and $18 million in the consolidated statements of earnings, respectively. During the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company's adjustment for actual variances from expected experience resulted in reserve remeasurement gains of $161 million and $77 million in the consolidated statements of earnings, respectively. There were no changes to the inputs or methods used in measuring the liability for future policy benefits during the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The Company performs an annual review of its assumptions during the third quarter. In 2023, the Company's annual review process resulted in favorable changes to its morbidity and termination assumptions, largely due to reflecting more recent favorable U.S. morbidity experience. These assumption updates, together with the variance of actual from expected experience, resulted in reserve remeasurement gains of $312 million in the consolidated statement of earnings for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2023. In 2022, the Company's annual review process resulted in favorable changes to its morbidity assumptions due to favorable claims experience, primarily. This, together with the variance of actual experience from expected experience, resulted in reserve remeasurement gains of $215 million in the consolidated statement of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2022. The following table summarizes the amount of net earned premiums recognized in the consolidated statements of earnings by reporting segment and disaggregated by product type.
The following table summarizes the amount of interest expense related to insurance contracts recognized in total benefits and claims, net in the consolidated statements of earnings by reporting segment and disaggregated by product type.
The following tables summarize the amount of undiscounted expected future gross premiums and expected future benefits and expenses and discounted (discounted at the current period discount rate) expected future gross premiums and expected future benefits and expenses by reporting segment and disaggregated by product type. Future gross premiums represent the expected amount of future premiums to be received. For limited-payment policies, the premiums are collected over a shorter period than the policy term over which benefits are provided. As a result, once the policy reaches premium paid-up status, the future gross premiums can be significantly less than the future benefit payments. Further, benefits and expenses are generally greater in the later years of a policy. These are the primary factors that result in future gross premiums lower than future benefit and expense payments for certain lines of business of the Company.
Loss expense as a result of net premium ratio capping for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was immaterial. Other Policyholders' Funds As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the largest component of the other policyholders' funds liability was the Company's annuity line of business in Aflac Japan. The Company's annuities have fixed benefits and premiums. The following table presents the changes in other policyholders’ funds.
(1) Aflac Japan fixed annuities The following table presents other policyholders’ funds balances by range of guaranteed crediting rates.
(1) Aflac Japan fixed annuities (2) Weighted-average crediting rate of 1.5% at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022. Aflac Japan’s fixed annuities have guaranteed fixed crediting rates which results in the policyholders' funds balances being able to cover all guaranteed benefit amounts. The reserves are adequate to fully fund future benefits at any given time. See Note 1 for additional information on policy liabilities.
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