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BENEFIT PLANS
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Disclosures [Abstract]  
BENEFIT PLANS BENEFIT PLANS
The Company has funded defined benefit plans in Japan and the U.S.; however, future benefits under the U.S. plan were frozen effective January 1, 2024. In January 2025, the Company purchased a nonparticipating single premium group annuity contract from an external insurer to settle its obligations under the U.S. defined pension plan and paid to the insurer the related annuity premium. As a result, the Company recognized a settlement charge of $55 million in the first quarter of 2025. Effective April 1, 2025, the external insurer began making annuity payments to plan participants.

The Company also maintains non-qualified, unfunded supplemental retirement plans that provide defined pension benefits in excess of limits imposed by federal tax law for certain Japanese, U.S. and former employees. However, future benefits under the Company's Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and Retirement Plan for Senior Officers were frozen effective January 1, 2024, provided that actively employed participants may continue to accrue service toward eligibility for early retirement benefits or delayed early retirement benefits.

The Company provides certain health care benefits for eligible U.S. retired employees, their beneficiaries and covered dependents (other postretirement benefits). The health care plan is contributory and unfunded. For certain employees and former employees, additional coverage is provided for all medical expenses for life.

Pension and other postretirement benefit expenses are included in acquisition and operating expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings, which includes other components of net periodic pension cost and postretirement costs (other than service costs) of $3 million and $2 million for the three-month periods and $60 million and $4 million for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Total net periodic benefit cost includes the following components:
Three Months Ended June 30,
Pension BenefitsOther
JapanU.S.Postretirement Benefits
(In millions)202520242025202420252024
Components of net periodic
  benefit cost:
Service cost$3 $$0 $$0 $
Interest cost2 2 10 0 
Expected return on plan assets(2)(1)0 (8)0 
Amortization of net actuarial
  (gain) loss
0 0 (1)1 
Settlement (gain) loss0 0 0 
Net periodic benefit cost (credit)$3 $$2 $$1 $
Six Months Ended June 30,
Pension BenefitsOther
JapanU.S.Postretirement Benefits
(In millions)202520242025202420252024
Components of net periodic
  benefit cost:
Service cost$6 $$0 $$0 $
Interest cost4 10 19 0 
Expected return on plan assets(4)(3)(5)(15)0 
Amortization of net actuarial
  (gain) loss
0 (1)(1)1 
Settlement (gain) loss0 55 0 
Net periodic benefit cost (credit)$6 $$59 $$1 $
During the six months ended June 30, 2025, Aflac Japan contributed approximately $12 million (using the weighted-average yen/dollar exchange rate for the six-month period ended June 30, 2025) to the Japanese funded defined benefit plan, and Aflac U.S. did not make a contribution to the U.S. funded defined benefit plan.

For additional information regarding the Company's Japanese and U.S. benefit plans, see Note 14 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2024 Annual Report.