Aflac Voices - Tom Morey: Your Wellness Matters

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By Tom Morey, senior vice president, Aflac U.S. Chief Actuary

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 7, 2024 / At Aflac, we work to help create better health and financial outcomes for our policyholders. Sometimes that mission can be very personal.

One day on the basketball court, a young man felt a little off. Something wasn't right. But at 23 years old, fresh out of college, looking forward to grad school - the prime of his life, he thought, what could be wrong? Flu-like symptoms persisted, followed by unexplained bruising, causing him to eventually have his spleen removed. He couldn't work, used all of his sick leave and even borrowed some from colleagues. In and out of hospitals, with no prior health issues, this 23-year-old was left wondering: How did so much happen so fast?

Now, I know what you're thinking, and no - this young man did not have Aflac. Sadly, for me at least, the young man in this story was me. Fortunately, I recovered and have been able to pursue a career as an actuary, a numbers guy who relies heavily on statistics that I use every day to determine how to price Aflac plans and keep the company profitable. For a living, I measure how serious illness is often a product of age, but I am living proof that in some cases, statistics don't really matter as much, particularly when it's happening to you.

With August being National Wellness Month, it is an opportune time to reflect on personal health matters. In fact, we recently conducted 2024 Aflac Wellness Matters Survey, our second annual survey, to obtain data that should open some eyes. According to the survey, for instance, 77% of the overall population delays a standard health checkup beyond the recommended timeframe. Nearly one-third of Gen Z and millennials skip their regular checkups because they are feeling healthy at that particular moment. Now, it may be a tall order, but our goal is to help bring all these numbers down: We want everyone, but young people in particular, to build positive wellness habits and get conditioned to setting up and following through with regularly scheduled preventive health care visits.

We know highlighting prevention works, and we want everyone to live long and happy lives. So during National Wellness Month, make the changes you need in order to be on top of your wellness. Because whether you are a policyholder, an employee or a member of the community, to Aflac, your Wellness Matters.

Visit aflac.com/wellness-matters to learn tips to improve your health, access social media content and read the full 2024 Wellness Matters Survey.

About the study: The 2024 Wellness Matters Survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 employed U.S. adults ages 18-65 in April 2024 by Kantar Profiles on behalf of Aflac.

The results from the 2024 Wellness Matters Survey are intended for informational purposes only.

Aflac includes Aflac and/or Aflac New York and/or Continental American Insurance Company and /or Continental American Life Insurance Company.

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