Aflac 2009 Annual Report Download - page 14

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
Japan U.S.
2.6
1.6 1.6 1.6
1.8
2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3
$2.8
Net Investment
Income
(In billions)
Net investment income rose
7.3% to a record $2.8 billion.
Not only does Aflac Chairman and CEO
Dan Amos believe that “If you take
care of the people, they’ll take care
of the business,” but the management
at Aflac Japan believes it as well. Aflac
Japan offers dozens of diverse clubs
and activities from which Aflac Japan
employees may select to remain fit,
centered, relaxed, or entertained. In
turn, these employees feel connected to
the company and excited about serving
and protecting our policyholders and
claimants. Pictured here, four women
who work at Aflac Japan have chosen to
participate in a yoga class. From front
to back, Miyuki Kajiyama, Planning
Department; Hiroko Akiyama,
System Development Department;
Saiko Iwata, Infrastructure Services
Department; and Ayano Kawanishi,
system engineer at Aflac
Japan sent from Hitachi
Ltd., spread their wings
and empower their
minds, bodies and spirits
to unwind from a long
day at work and
prepare for the
following day.
Aflac Japan’s Products:
We’ve Got You Under Our Wing
Japan’s population is covered by a
compulsory and universal health care
insurance system. The many positives
of advancing medical technology
mean citizens have the latest medical
care, but medical advances also exact
a potentially signicant nancial toll.
Combined with an aging population and
declining birthrate, consumers have been
required to pay more out of their own
pockets for health care. In 1984, Japan
rst introduced a 10% copayment on
its national health care system for most
working people. Today, that copayment
is 30% – a signicant cost that
consumers must bear. It seems unlikely
that the nancial strain on Japan’s
national health care system will abate,
meaning consumers will continue to face
a heavy nancial burden for health care
in the foreseeable future.
Research and knowledge about the
specic nancial burdens consumers face
have allowed Aac Japan to respond with
benets that help consumers cope with
these burdens. This kind of innovative
product development was at the forefront
in 2009 and was greatly responsible for
Aac Japan’s strong sales performance.
In March 2009, we introduced a new child
endowment product. With more than one
million babies born each year in Japan, a
new addition to a family tends to prompt
a review of insurance coverage. Our child
endowment product is appropriate for
these new parents who are re-evaluating
their coverage. It offers a death benet
until the child reaches age 18, it pays
a lump sum benet at the time of the
child’s entry into high school, as well as
an educational annuity for each of the four
years during his or her college education.
Our sales agencies have found that
Aac’s more traditional life insurance
products, like our child endowment
plan, often help secure an opportunity to
interact with consumers and cross-sell
other Aac products with living benets,
We’ve got you under our wing.
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