UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

or

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from              to             

Commission File Number: 001-07434

Aflac Incorporated

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Georgia			58-1167100
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)			(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
1932 Wynnton Road	Columbus	Georgia	31999
(Address of principal executive offices)			(ZIP Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 706.323.3431

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbols(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $.10 Par Value	AFL	New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:    None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    þ Yes    ¨  No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    ¨  Yes    þ  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.            þ  Yes  ¨  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    þ  Yes  ¨  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	☑	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ☐ Yes    ☑  No

The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2021, was $35,892,975,941.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding at February 16, 2022, with $.10 par value, was 649,860,875. 

Documents Incorporated By Reference

Certain information contained in the Notice and Proxy Statement for the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

Aflac Incorporated

Annual Report on Form 10-K

For the Year Ended December 31, 2021

Table of Contents

PART I			Page
	Item 1.	Business	2
	Item 1A.	Risk Factors	13
	Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	28
	Item 2.	Properties	28
	Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	28
	Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	28
PART II
	Item 5.	Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	29
	Item 6.	[Reserved]	31
	Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	32
	Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	72
	Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	80
	Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	173
	Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	173
	Item 9B.	Other Information	173
	Item 9C.	Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections	173
PART III
	Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	174
	Item 11.	Executive Compensation	174
	Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	174
	Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	174
	Item 14.	Principal Accounting Fees and Services	174
PART IV
	Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	175
	Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary	190
Glossary of Select Terms			191

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PART I

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those informational statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. Aflac Incorporated and its subsidiaries (the Company) desire to take advantage of these provisions. This report contains cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in any other statements made by Company officials in communications with the financial community and contained in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Furthermore, forward-looking information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such as the ones listed below or similar words, as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

• expect	• anticipate	• believe	• goal	• objective
• may	• should	• estimate	• intends	• projects
• will	• assumes	• potential	• target	• outlook

The Company cautions readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements:

•difficult conditions in global capital markets and the economy, including those caused by COVID-19

•defaults and credit downgrades of investments

•exposure to significant interest rate risk

•concentration of business in Japan

•limited availability of acceptable yen-denominated investments

•foreign currency fluctuations in the yen/dollar exchange rate

•differing judgments applied to investment valuations

•significant valuation judgments in determination of expected credit losses recorded on the Company's investments

•decreases in the Company's financial strength or debt ratings

•decline in creditworthiness of other financial institutions

•concentration of the Company's investments in any particular single-issuer or sector

•the effects of COVID-19 and its variants (both known and emerging), and any resulting economic effects and government interventions, on the Company's business and financial results

•the Company's ability to attract and retain qualified sales associates, brokers, employees, and distribution partners

•deviations in actual experience from pricing and reserving assumptions

•ability to continue to develop and implement improvements in information technology systems

•interruption in telecommunication, information technology and other operational systems, or a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data residing on such systems

•subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends to the Parent Company

•inherent limitations to risk management policies and procedures

•operational risks of third party vendors

•tax rates applicable to the Company may change

•failure to comply with restrictions on policyholder privacy and information security

•extensive regulation and changes in law or regulation by governmental authorities

•competitive environment and ability to anticipate and respond to market trends

•catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, as a result of climate change, epidemics, pandemics (such as the coronavirus COVID-19), tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, war or other military action, terrorism or other acts of violence, and damage incidental to such events

•ability to protect the Aflac brand and the Company's reputation

•ability to effectively manage key executive succession

•changes in accounting standards

•level and outcome of litigation

•allegations or determinations of worker misclassification in the United States

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS

OVERVIEW

Aflac Incorporated (the Parent Company) was incorporated in 1973 under the laws of the state of Georgia. The Parent Company and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company) provide financial protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. The Company’s principal business is supplemental health and life insurance products with the goal to provide customers the best value in supplemental insurance products in the United States (U.S.) and Japan. When a policyholder or insured gets sick or hurt, the Company pays cash benefits fairly and promptly for eligible claims. Throughout its 65 year history, the Company’s supplemental insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress.

The Company has continued to develop and expand its product offerings over time. In Japan, the Company is cultivating an innovation-driven culture to meet the rapidly changing customer and societal needs. Through acquisitions completed in 2019 and 2020, the Company expanded its U.S. product offerings to network dental and vision and employer paid group life and disability. The Company has also been investing in new distribution opportunities through acquisitions and partnerships. During 2020 and continuing into 2021, in response to the onset and development of the global Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Company pivoted to digital sales methods and accelerated related digital investments. For information on the reporting segments see the Result of Operations by Segment section of Item 7. Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A). For information on the Company’s response to COVID-19, see the Executive Summary section of Item 7. MD&A.

The Company is authorized to conduct insurance business in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, several U.S. territories and Japan. The Company’s website is: www.aflac.com. Information included on the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference into this filing. The Company makes available free of charge through its website, its annual report on Form 10-K, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

REVENUE-GENERATING ACTIVITIES

The Company's strategy for growth in the U.S. and Japan has remained straightforward and consistent for many years. The Company develops relevant supplemental insurance products and sells them through expanded distribution channels. To help promote its insurance products, the Company’s marketing campaigns feature the Aflac Duck.

LONG-TERM GROWTH STRATEGY

In 1999, the Company had been running commercials for nearly a decade, but its brand awareness was hovering at about 10%. An innovative marketing campaign with something unique and memorable that would build brand awareness was

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needed. The Aflac Duck’s first commercial in the U.S., “Park Bench,” aired on January 1, 2000 and taught consumers how to pronounce “Aflac.” The Aflac Duck made his international debut in Japan in 2003. In the two decades since his U.S. debut, the Aflac Duck has become one of the most familiar advertising icons in the world, appearing in many commercials and countless print ads in both the U.S. and Japan. Today, the Aflac Duck is a helpmate who increases brand knowledge and connection.

The Company's insurance business consists of two reporting segments: Aflac Japan and Aflac U.S. The primary insurance subsidiary in the Aflac Japan segment is Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. Aflac U.S. includes the insurance subsidiaries 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); and Tier One Insurance Company (TOIC); as well as Argus Dental & Vision, Inc. (Argus), which is licensed as a third party administrator in most U.S. jurisdictions and as a pre-paid limited health service organization in Florida.

In November 2020, the Company, through its insurance subsidiaries Aflac and Aflac New York, acquired Zurich North America’s U.S. Corporate Life and Pensions business, which consists of group life, disability and absence management products. Aflac and Aflac New York agreed to reinsure on an indemnity basis Zurich North America’s U.S. in-force group life and disability policies with annualized earned premium of over $100 million. Aflac also acquired assets needed to support the group life and disability business, along with an absence management platform.

For information on the Company's results of operations and financial information by segment, see Item 7. MD&A and Note 2 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.

AFLAC JAPAN

Aflac Japan is the principal contributor to the Parent Company's consolidated earnings and the largest insurer in Japan in terms of cancer and medical (third sector insurance products) policies in force. As of December 31, 2021, Aflac Japan exceeded 23 million individual policies in force in Japan. Aflac Japan continued to be the number one seller of cancer insurance policies in Japan throughout 2021, with more than 15 million cancer policies in force as of December 31, 2021. For information on Aflac Japan's operating results, see the Aflac Japan Segment section of Item 7. MD&A.

Insurance Products

Aflac Japan's third sector insurance products are supplemental products designed to help consumers pay for medical and nonmedical costs that are not reimbursed under Japan's national health insurance system. Changes in Japan's economy and an aging population have put increasing pressure on Japan's national health care system. As a result, more costs have been shifted to Japanese consumers, who in turn have become increasingly interested in insurance products that help them manage those costs. In addition, since 2020, the pandemic has accelerated digitization and significantly heightened customer awareness of potential financial and health care burdens. Aflac Japan has responded to this consumer need by enhancing existing products and developing new products, such as a nursing care product introduced in 2021. The focus at Aflac Japan remains on maintaining leadership in third sector insurance products that are less interest rate sensitive and have strong and stable margins. At the same time, Aflac Japan complements this core business with similarly profitable first sector protection products as outlined below.

THIRD SECTOR INSURANCE	FIRST SECTOR INSURANCE
	Life insurance products include:
▪Cancer	Protection type:	Savings type:
▪Medical	▪Whole Life	▪WAYS
▪Nursing Care	▪Term Life	▪Child Endowment
▪Income Support	▪GIFT

Cancer Insurance Aflac Japan pioneered the cancer insurance market in Japan in 1974, and remains the number one provider of cancer insurance in Japan today. Aflac Japan's cancer insurance products provide a lump-sum benefit upon initial diagnosis of cancer and fixed daily benefits for subsequent hospitalization and outpatient treatments due to cancer, as well as cancer-related surgical and convalescent care benefits.

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Medical and Other Health Insurance

Medical Insurance Aflac Japan's medical insurance products provide benefits for hospitalization, surgeries and outpatient treatment of various illnesses, as well as lump sum benefits related to three critical illnesses: cancer, heart attack, and stroke.

Nursing Care Insurance Aflac Japan's Nursing Care Insurance provides coverage for out-of-pocket costs incurred when receiving public nursing care services.

Income Support Insurance Aflac Japan's Income Support Insurance provides fixed-benefit amounts in the event that a policyholder is unable to work due to significant illness or injury.

Life Insurance

Whole Life Aflac Japan launched Prepare Smart Whole-Life Insurance in 2018, a whole life insurance product with low cash surrender value, which offers non-smoking policyholders further discounted premiums, and it provides beneficiaries, typically a designated family member, with a pre-determined benefit payment upon the death of the insured.

GIFT GIFT is a term life insurance product that provides a designated family member with a fixed amount of money every month upon a breadwinner’s death or serious disability as family support.

WAYS and Child Endowment WAYS is an insurance product which has features that allow policyholders to convert a portion of their life insurance to medical, nursing care or fixed annuity benefits at a predetermined age. Aflac Japan's child endowment insurance product offers a death benefit until a child reaches age 18. This product also pays a lump-sum 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. Beginning in 2013, Aflac Japan curtailed sales of WAYS and Child Endowment, first sector savings-type products, due to persistent low interest rates in Japan and, in particular, the relatively large capital commitment required by such products and their lower profitability, in such an environment.

Distribution Channels

Traditional Sales Channel This distribution channel includes individual agencies, independent corporate agencies and affiliated corporate agencies. Aflac Japan was represented by more than 8,000 sales agencies at the end of 2021, with approximately 112,000 licensed sales associates employed by those agencies, including individual agencies.

Banks Consumers in Japan rely on banks to provide not only traditional bank services, but also as one key source to provide insurance solutions and other services. By the end of 2021, Aflac Japan had agreements with approximately 90% of the total number of banks in Japan to sell its products.

Dai-ichi Life Aflac Japan's alliance with Dai-ichi Life was launched in 2001, and approximately 40,000 Dai-ichi Life representatives offer Aflac's cancer products.

Japan Post Group Aflac Japan's alliance with Japan Post Group was launched in 2008. After the alliance strengthened in 2013, the number of postal outlets of Japan Post Co. Ltd. (Japan Post Co.) selling Aflac Japan's cancer product increased to more than 20,000. Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd. (Japan Post Insurance) offers Aflac Japan cancer products through its 76 directly managed offices. In 2018, the Company entered a strategic alliance with Japan Post Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan Post Holdings), the parent company of Japan Post Co. and Japan Post Insurance. In 2021, the Parent Company, Aflac Japan and Japan Post Group agreed to pursue several specific initiatives toward building a "Co-creation Platform" to support customers and local communities. See the "Aflac Japan Segment" subsection of MD&A for more about this alliance.

Daido Life In 2013, Aflac Japan and Daido Life Insurance entered into an agreement for Daido to sell Aflac Japan's cancer insurance products specifically to the Hojinkai market, which is an association of small businesses. Currently, Daido also sells Aflac Japan's cancer insurance products to the market in the tax payment association, which is a not-for-profit association for small businesses to support tax related matters.

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Competitive Markets

The Company competes with other insurance carriers through policyholder service, price, product design and sales efforts, as the number of insurance companies offering stand-alone cancer and medical insurance has more than doubled since the deregulation of the Japan market in 2001. However, based on Aflac Japan's size of annualized premiums in force and diversified distribution network, the Company does not believe that Aflac Japan's market-leading position has been significantly impacted by increased competition. Furthermore, the Company believes the continued development and maintenance of operating efficiencies will allow Aflac Japan to offer affordable products that appeal to consumers. The Company believes Aflac Japan will remain a leading provider of cancer and medical insurance coverage in Japan, principally due to its experience in the market, well-known brand, low-cost operations, expansive marketing system and product expertise.

Government Regulation

Financial Services Agency (FSA) The financial and business affairs of Aflac Japan are subject to examination by Japan's FSA. Aflac Japan files annual and interim reports and financial statements for the Japanese insurance operations based on a March 31 fiscal year end, prepared in accordance with Japanese regulatory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the FSA. Japanese regulatory basis earnings are determined using accounting principles that differ materially from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). For additional information, see Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Two FSA regulations applicable to Aflac Japan are outlined below.

▪Privacy and Cybersecurity

With regard to personal information obtained from policyholders, the insured, or others, Aflac Japan is regulated in Japan by the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) and guidelines issued by FSA and other governmental authorities. The FSA updated its guidelines regarding cybersecurity in October 2018.

•FSA Solvency Standard

The FSA maintains a solvency standard, the solvency margin ratio (SMR), which is used by Japanese regulators to monitor the financial strength of insurance companies. Aflac Japan's SMR is sensitive to interest rate, credit spread and foreign exchange rate changes. See the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of Item 7. MD&A for additional information on SMR, including a discussion of measures the Company has taken to mitigate the sensitivity of Aflac Japan's SMR.

Japan Companies Act Aflac Japan dividend distributions to the Parent Company are subject to permitted dividend capacity under the Japan Companies Act.

Policyholder Protection The Japanese insurance industry has a policyholder protection corporation that provides funds for the policyholders of insolvent insurers. For additional information, see the policyholder protection section of the MD&A.

For additional information regarding Aflac Japan's operations and regulations, see the "Aflac Japan Segment" subsection of the MD&A and Notes 2 and 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.

AFLAC U.S.

The Company designs its U.S. insurance products to provide supplemental coverage for people who already have major medical or primary insurance coverage, as Aflac U.S. insurance policies pay benefits regardless of other insurance. Aflac U.S. products are distributed in the individual and group supplemental insurance markets. Aflac's individual policies are portable, meaning that individuals may retain their full insurance coverage upon separation from employment or affiliation with a group, generally at the same premium. Individual policies are typically guaranteed-renewable for the lifetime of the policyholder (to age 75 for short-term disability policies).

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Insurance Products

▪Cancer	▪Critical Illness	▪Vision
▪Accident	▪Hospital Indemnity	▪Life
▪Disability	▪Dental

Cancer Insurance Aflac U.S.'s cancer insurance products provide a lump-sum benefit upon initial diagnosis of cancer and subsequent benefits for treatment received due to cancer. Aflac U.S. offers cancer insurance on an individual basis.

Accident Insurance Aflac U.S. offers accident coverage on both an individual and group basis. These policies pay cash benefits in the event of a covered injury. The accident portion of the policy includes lump-sum benefits for accidental death, dismemberment and specific injuries as well as fixed benefits for hospital confinement. Additional benefits are also available for home modifications, wellness and increased benefits for injuries related to participation in an organized sporting activity.

Disability Insurance Aflac U.S. offers short-term disability benefits on both an individual and group basis and long-term disability benefits on a group basis. The individual short-term disability product offers an Aflac Value Rider that pays a benefit, less claims, for every consecutive five-year term that the policy is in force.

Critical Illness Insurance Aflac U.S. offers coverage for critical illness plans on both an individual and group basis. These policies are designed to pay cash benefits in the event of critical illnesses such as heart attack, stroke or cancer.

Hospital Indemnity Insurance Aflac U.S. offers hospital indemnity coverage on both an individual and group basis. Hospital indemnity products provide policyholders fixed dollar benefits triggered by hospitalization due to accident or sickness. Indemnity benefits for inpatient and outpatient surgeries, as well as various other diagnostic events, are also available. Aflac U.S. also offers a lump sum rider for a range of critical illness events that can be added to its individual accident, short-term disability and hospital indemnity products.

Dental and Vision Insurance Aflac U.S. offers network dental and vision products on a group basis. Aflac U.S. offers fixed-benefit dental coverage on both an individual and group basis. Aflac U.S. offers Vision NowSM, an individually issued policy which provides benefits for serious eye health conditions and loss of sight as well as coverage for corrective eye materials and exam benefits.

Life Aflac U.S. offers term- and whole-life policies on both an individual and group basis.

Seasonality

In recent years, new annualized premium sales are generally higher in the fourth quarter for Aflac U.S. group business due to the timing of open enrollment for many employers. As a result, approximately half of total new annualized premium sales for Aflac U.S. group business are generated in the fourth quarter, which typically results in over one third of total Aflac U.S. total sales being generated in the fourth quarter.

Distribution Channels

Independent Associates/Career Agents The career agent channel in Aflac U.S. focuses on marketing Aflac to the small business market, defined as employers of between three and 99 employees. Sales associates in the U.S. are independent contractors and are paid commissions and other variable compensation based on first-year and renewal premiums from their sales of insurance products.

Brokers The broker channel of Aflac U.S. focuses on selling to the mid- and large-case market, which is comprised of employers with 100 or more employees and typically an average size of 1,000 employees or more. Brokers in the U.S. are independent contractors and are paid commissions based on first-year and renewal premiums from their sales of insurance products.

Consumer Markets While Aflac U.S. primarily markets its insurance products at the worksite, Aflac U.S. is also expanding its distribution strategy to directly reach consumers outside of the traditional worksite through digital lead generation.

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Competitive Markets

Aflac U.S. competes against several supplemental insurance carriers on a national and regional basis. Aflac U.S. believes its policies, premium rates, platforms, value-added services and sales commissions are competitive by product type. Moreover, Aflac U.S. believes that its products are distinct from competitive offerings given its product focus (including features, benefits and claims service model), distribution capabilities and brand awareness. 

Since Aflac products provide an additional level of financial protection for policyholders, the Company believes the increased financial exposure some employees may face creates a favorable opportunity for Aflac U.S. products. However, given the profitability erosion some major medical carriers are facing in their core lines of business, the Company has seen a more competitive landscape as these carriers seek entry into Aflac's supplemental product segments and leverage their core benefit offerings by bundling and discounting products in order to gain market share.

Government Regulation

Insurance Regulation The Parent Company and its U.S. insurance subsidiaries, Aflac, CAIC, TOIC (Nebraska-domiciled insurance companies), Aflac New York (a New York-domiciled insurance company) and Argus (a licensed third party administrator in most U.S. jurisdictions and as a pre-paid limited health service organization in Florida) are subject to state regulations in the U.S. as an insurance holding company system. Such regulations generally provide that certain transactions between companies within the holding company system must be fair and equitable. In addition, transfers of assets among such affiliated companies, certain dividend payments from insurance subsidiaries and certain transactions between companies within the system, including management fees, loans and advances are subject to prior notice to, or approval by, state regulatory authorities. These laws generally require, among other things, the insurance holding company and each insurance company directly owned by the holding company to register with the insurance departments of their respective domiciliary states and to furnish annually financial and other information about the operations of companies within the holding company system.

Like all U.S. insurance companies, Aflac, CAIC, TOIC and Aflac New York are subject to regulation and supervision in the jurisdictions in which they do business. In general, the insurance laws of the various jurisdictions establish supervisory agencies with broad administrative powers relating to, among other things:

•granting and revoking licenses to transact business

•regulating trade and claims practices

•licensing of insurance agents and brokers

•approval of policy forms and premium rates

•standards of solvency and maintenance of specified policy benefit reserves and minimum loss ratio requirements

•capital requirements

•limitations on dividends to shareholders

•the nature of and limitations on investments

•deposits of securities for the benefit of policyholders

•filing of financial statements prepared in accordance with statutory insurance accounting practices prescribed or permitted by regulatory authorities

•periodic examinations of the market conduct, financial, and other affairs of insurance companies

The insurance laws of Nebraska that govern Aflac's activities provide that the acquisition or change of “control” of a domestic insurer or of any person that controls a domestic insurer cannot be consummated without the prior approval of the Nebraska Department of Insurance (NDOI). A person seeking to acquire control, directly or indirectly, of a domestic insurance company or of any person controlling a domestic insurance company (in the case of Aflac, CAIC and TOIC, the Parent Company) must generally file with the NDOI an application for change of control containing certain information required by statute and published regulations and provide a copy to Aflac. In Nebraska, control is generally presumed to exist if any person, directly or indirectly, acquires 10% or more of an insurance company or of any other person or entity controlling the insurance company. The 10% presumption is not conclusive and control may be found to exist at less than 10%. Similar laws apply in New York, the domiciliary jurisdiction of Aflac's New York insurance subsidiary.

State insurance departments conduct periodic examinations of the books and records, financial reporting, policy filings and market conduct of insurance companies domiciled in their states, generally once every three to five years. Examinations are generally carried out in cooperation with the insurance departments of other states under guidelines promulgated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). In 2020, the NDOI and New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS) conducted full-scope, risk-focused financial examinations on their respective state domiciled insurance entities. The examinations covered the reporting period January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2019.

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There were no material findings contained in the NDOI or New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) final exam reports.

NAIC Risk-Based Capital The NAIC continually reviews regulatory matters, such as risk-based capital (RBC) modernization, group capital calculations and liquidity risk assessment. The NAIC uses an RBC formula relating to insurance risk, business risk, asset risk and interest rate risk to facilitate identification by insurance regulators of inadequately capitalized insurance companies based upon the types and mix of risk inherent in the insurer's operations. The formulas for determining the amount of RBC specify various weighting factors that are applied to financial balances or various levels of activity based on the perceived degree of risk. Regulatory compliance is determined by a ratio of a company's regulatory total adjusted capital to its authorized control level RBC as defined by the NAIC. Companies below specific trigger points or ratios are classified within certain levels, each of which requires specified corrective action. The levels are company action, regulatory action, authorized control, and mandatory control. See Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of MD&A for additional information on RBC.

Guaranty Association and Similar Arrangements Under state insurance guaranty association laws and similar laws in international jurisdictions, the Company is subject to assessments, based on the share of business the Company writes in the relevant jurisdiction, for certain obligations of insolvent insurance companies to policyholders and claimants. In the U.S., some states permit member insurers to recover assessments paid through full or partial premium tax offsets. The Company's policy is to accrue assessments when the entity for which the insolvency relates has met its state of domicile's statutory definition of insolvency, the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable and the related premium upon which the assessment is based is written. In most states, the definition is met with a declaration of financial insolvency by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Federal Regulation Federal legislation and administrative policies in several areas, including health care reform legislation, financial services reform legislation, securities regulation, pension regulation, privacy, tort reform legislation and taxation, can significantly and adversely affect insurance companies. Certain federal regulations applicable to Aflac U.S. are outlined below.

•Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Heath Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the ACA), federal health care reform legislation, gave the U.S. federal government direct regulatory authority over the business of health insurance. The ACA, as enacted, does not require material changes in the design of the Company's insurance products. However, indirect consequences of, or changes to, the legislation and regulations could present challenges that could potentially have an impact on the Company's sales model, financial condition and results of operations. Certain provisions of the ACA have been and may continue to be subject to challenge through litigation, the ultimate effects of which on the ACA are uncertain. See the risk factor entitled, "Extensive regulation and changes in legislation can impact profitability and growth" for more information.

•Dodd-Frank Act

Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank) and regulations issued thereunder, in particular rules to require central clearing for certain types of derivatives, may have an impact on the Company's derivative activity, including activity on behalf of Aflac Japan.

The Dodd-Frank Act also established a Federal Insurance Office (FIO) under the U.S. Treasury Department to monitor all aspects of the insurance industry and of lines of business other than certain health insurance, certain long-term care insurance and crop insurance.

•Privacy and Cybersecurity

In the absence of a comprehensive federal privacy law, many States are making a push towards privacy legislation. Personally identifiable information is used in support of many of the Company's business processes. For many years, the standard for protection and treatment of that data was benchmarked by privacy and security provisions of the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (GLBA) and in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). As consumers have grown more concerned about the protection of their data, as well as how their data is used by an organization, many jurisdictions within and outside of the U.S. have created legislation and issued regulations that apply or may in the future apply to aspects of Aflac U.S. operations and allow consumers the right to access, correct, delete and the right to opt out of sales or use of their data. The

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California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the UK Data Protection Act of 2018 (DPA Act) and most recently the Virginia Consumer Data Privacy Act (CDPA) and the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), which both go into effect in 2023, are examples of these types of legislation.

Cybersecurity continues to be an area of evolving focus for legislation and regulatory activity. Industry regulators as well as the federal government have updated existing standards and increased their focus on enforcement. For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued enhanced security guidelines of the software supply chain and New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) published increased security guidelines related to ransomware.

The Company has a cross-functional team that tracks and monitors new and emerging legislation and regulations to ensure privacy and cybersecurity programs are evaluated and comply with regulatory requirements. This includes a robust third party risk management and assessment program. Over the last several years, processes have developed to support the data subject request process required by CCPA, privacy impact assessments have been implemented as required by CPRA and a dedicated privacy and security center has been added to the Company website to provide consumers with information about the use of and protection of their data.

For further information concerning Aflac U.S. operations, see the "Aflac U.S. Segment" subsection of the MD&A and Notes 2 and 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.

CORPORATE AND OTHER

The Company's other operations include the Parent Company, Aflac Global Ventures LLC and its subsidiaries, asset management subsidiaries, results of reinsurance retrocession activities and a printing subsidiary.

Investments of Aflac U.S., as well as certain sub-advised assets of Aflac Japan, are managed by the Company’s U.S. asset management subsidiary, Aflac Asset Management LLC (AAM), and investments of Aflac Japan are managed pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between Aflac Japan and the Company's asset management subsidiary in Japan, Aflac Asset Management Japan Ltd. (AAMJ). AAMJ is licensed as a discretionary asset manager under the Japan Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and is subject to rules of the Japan Investment Advisors Association, a self-regulatory organization with mandatory membership for Japan investment managers. Effective January 19, 2021, AAM is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. AAM and AAMJ are reported in Corporate and Other; however, the assets that they manage are reported in the respective Aflac Japan and Aflac U.S. segments.

In 2020, the Company purchased newly issued common stock of Trupanion, Inc., a provider of medical insurance for pets in the United States and Canada, resulting in the Company owning approximately 9% of the outstanding common stock of Trupanion, Inc. The shares were registered for resale and, pursuant to the Shareholder Agreement, subject to certain exceptions, the Company has agreed that it will not transfer its shares of Trupanion, Inc. common stock during a restricted period ending on November 13, 2023. The Company also entered into an alliance agreement with Trupanion, Inc. to sell pet insurance in worksites in the U.S., subject to certain exceptions, and to explore on an exclusive basis potential distribution opportunities for pet insurance in Japan.

For additional information on the Company's other operations, see the "Corporate and Other" subsection of the MD&A and Note 8 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

HUMAN CAPITAL

The Company’s overarching human capital philosophy is, “If you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of the business.” As of December 31, 2021, Aflac Japan had 6,492 employees, Aflac U.S. had 4,851 employees, and the Company's other operations had 1,104 employees. The Company's compensation and benefit expense totaled approximately $2.0 billion in both 2021 and 2020. The Company believes its employee relations are generally satisfactory.

Talent

The Company uses internal and external resources to attract, retain and develop talent across a variety of backgrounds and demographics.

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Aflac Japan seeks diverse talent through annual recruitment of new university graduates as well as mid-career recruitment of those with specialty skills or expertise. For its employees, Aflac Japan implements standard and unified training and development programs focusing on a range of business skills. For example, Aflac Japan’s Leadership Program allows select managers to participate in a comprehensive training program to learn about innovation and the global business environment. Aflac Japan is implementing a human capital management system, beginning in January 2021 with managers and more senior leadership positions and in January 2022 with all other employees. Under the new system, employees will have access to descriptions and necessary skills for all job positions across the Company and will be able to more proactively design their careers.

Aflac U.S. recruiting efforts include partnerships with colleges and universities, including historically black colleges and universities, and civic organizations to attract diverse talent. Aflac U.S. also offers a variety of internships, co-operative opportunities and transitional programs to allow emerging talent to develop. Educational opportunities are available for self-development and growth to help employees further enhance their technical and professional skills.

Compensation

The Aflac Japan and Aflac U.S. Human Resources divisions operate as centralized internal compensation functions to provide oversight and input to the respective management teams with the objective of providing compensation that is consistent with job scope, duties and responsibilities. The compensation function evaluates new-hire job offers, promotions and compensation adjustments with the goal of consistent and equitable compensation. Defined salary structures are reviewed regularly and updated utilizing market data. Job levels and associated compensation are determined based on annually updated market data, job scope, duties and responsibilities. Employee performance reviews are conducted annually and are factored into employee bonuses and salaries.

Health and Wellness

In 2021, Aflac Japan was certified, for the fourth consecutive year, as one of the top 500 Leading Companies in Health and Productivity Management under the Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This certification is awarded for best practices in employee health management, strategically focused work style and development of a socially appreciative work environment. Aflac Japan's current certification was in recognition of wide-ranging initiatives including a walking campaign, online seminars focused on improving health literacy, efforts to improve lifestyle habits such as support for smoke-free efforts, promotion of cancer screening and the establishment of a workplace support program.

Aflac U.S. Health and Wellness, a training and service program works to enhance organizational health, encourage healthy lifestyles among all U.S. employees, provide diverse wellness programs to meet a wide range of personal health needs, recognize employees for participating in healthier lifestyles activities, and support a positive corporate culture that is focused on celebrating and improving the quality of life for all U.S. employees.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Company’s corporate culture reflects its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of the Company. For example:

•As of December 31, 2021, women account for 56% of Aflac Japan employees, including part-time employees and 33% of those in leadership roles. Women also held 15% of senior management roles. Aflac Japan's goal is to further increase the percentage of women in line manager positions by 2025.

•As of December 31, 2021, 49% of Aflac U.S. and the Parent Company employees located in the U.S. were people of color and 66% were women. Women also occupied 49% of leadership roles located in the U.S. and 28% of senior management roles. In 2021, 64% of new hires located in the U.S. were people of color and 76% were women.

•Established in 2009, Aflac Heartful Services Co., Ltd. (Aflac Heartful Services), a subsidiary of Aflac Japan, promotes the hiring of employees with disabilities. Aflac Heartful Services has established a barrier-free work environment and provides, among other things, specialized training, specially-trained supervisors and development opportunities to support those with disabilities. Of Aflac Heartful Services’ 145 employees as of December 31, 2021, 116 have a disability. Aflac Heartful Services supports these employees with the assistance of advisors for long-term career support.

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•Both Aflac Japan and Aflac U.S. have created diversity councils that include employees from various levels that meet regularly to discuss activities and initiatives. The councils are designed to create avenues in which employees can communicate and appreciate one another’s cultural differences.

•Women and people of color comprise approximately 64% of the Parent Company’s board of directors.

Employee Engagement and Culture

The Company strives to have an engaged employee culture by developing programs including career development support and programs emphasizing work life balance. Aflac Japan provides an annual survey to employees to assess their work styles, and in 2021 Aflac Japan conducted a more comprehensive employee survey. Aflac U.S. provides an employee engagement survey every other year to employees to gather their views on company culture and satisfaction, and works with its leadership to monitor continuous improvements and enhance the employee experience. In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Aflac Japan is implementing paperless initiatives in order to promote a flexible working style not limited by time or place, and Aflac U.S. announced actions taken for its employees including a commitment to cover the costs of COVID-19 testing and extended paid leave in certain circumstances.

For more information on the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the Company’s human capital management, see the Executive Summary section of Item 7. MD&A.

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Information about the Company's Executive Officers

NAME	PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(1)	AGE
Daniel P. Amos	Chairman, Aflac Incorporated and Aflac, since 2001; Chief Executive Officer, Aflac Incorporated and Aflac, since 1990; President, Aflac, from 2017 until 2018; President, Aflac Incorporated, from 2018 until 2020	70
Steven K. Beaver	Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Aflac U.S., since 2019; Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis, Aflac Incorporated, from 2018 until 2019; Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Projects, Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis, Aflac Incorporated, from 2017 until 2018	57
Max K. Brodén	Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Aflac Incorporated, since 2020; Executive Vice President, Aflac since 2020; Treasurer, Aflac, since 2017; Treasurer, Aflac Incorporated from 2017 until 2021; Senior Vice President, Aflac Incorporated and Aflac, from 2017 until 2020; Senior Portfolio Manager, Norges Bank, from 2007 until 2017