<P> Aflac also offers un-reimbursed medical, dependent day - care, and transportation flexible spending accounts . The company also offers human resources services for HIPAA and COBRA . From 1979 to 1997, the company owned several television stations, most of them in small and medium markets . It sold the broadcasting division (including flagship station WTVM) to what became Raycom Media in 1997 . </P> <P> Consumer groups and some government officials say that cancer insurance returns fewer premium dollars to policyholders than standard insurance . A United States General Accounting Office study found that the policies paid back as little as 35% of premiums (Aflac said its cancer insurance paid back 62.4%). In comparison, New York State requires most major - medical policies to pay back 82% and group policies to pay back 75% . New York State does not allow stand - alone cancer policies . In 1997, AFLAC spent $175,000 on lobbyists and campaign contributions to change the law . New York State lifted its ban in 1998, for purchasers who already have basic coverage . Consumer Reports recommended that policyholders use the money instead to buy lower - deductible insurance . Insurance claims by line appear on the Annual Statement filed with each state . Loss claims are a percent of total premium before commissions . </P> <P> Since December 1999, the company's identity and brand has become more widely recognized in the United States as the result of TV commercials featuring the Aflac Duck, who frustratedly quacks the company's name to unsuspecting prospective policy holders . The duck concept and all of the commercials to date have been created by Kaplan Thaler Group, an advertising agency based in New York City . Metzer Farms, a Gonzales, California goose, duck, and gamebird hatchery, supplied them with the initial ducklings that each grew into the famous duck . Struggling to come up with a concept to make the big but relatively obscure insurance company's name memorable, one of the agency's art directors stumbled upon the duck idea while walking around Central Park at lunchtime uttering, "Aflac, Aflac ." He soon realized how much the company's name sounded like a duck's quack . The Aflac Duck character has now starred in more than 30 commercials . In many of these commercials, character actor Earl Billings also appears . The Aflac Duck is enshrined on Madison Avenue's Walk of Fame as one of America's Favorite Advertising Icons . </P> <P> In April 2009, Aflac introduced a new marketing campaign called "Get the Aflacts", designed to educate consumers about the specific benefits of the insurance products the company sells . The Aflacts campaign gave the Aflac Duck "a more prominent role", designed to "help potential customers learn the Aflacts, er, facts about policies and other products", according to The New York Times . </P>

What kind of bird is the aflac mascot