Aflac's Check for Cancer campaign is a call to action for employers

• Key insight: Learn why employer-led screening campaigns could materially shift population early-detection rates.
• What's at stake: Delayed screenings increase survival risk, corporate healthcare costs, and employee retention challenges.
• Supporting data: Over 600,000 US cancer deaths annually; projected national costs exceed $220 billion.
• Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

Supplemental insurance provider Aflac is leading a call to action for one of the top concerns in healthcare. 

With World Cancer Day on February 4, Aflac is encouraging employers to use their Check for Cancer Campaign as a springboard for cancer screening conversations in their own workplace. The company launched the program in 2025, with a mission to increase national participation in cancer screenings by 10% over the next decade. The motivation for forward movement is clear: Last year, more than 600,000 people — nearly 1,700 a day — were expected to die from cancer in the U.S., and overall spending for the disease was projected to be over $220 billion, according to the American Cancer Society. 

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"We're an insurance company that specializes in cancer insurance — we are constantly aware of the relative impacts that cancer can have on a person, a family and society in general," says Matthew Owenby, Aflac's chief administrative officer. "Given our position in the industry, if we can get people talking about it, and we can get screens up, we can have an overall net-positive effect on cancer in the U.S."  

Early detection and treatment of the disease are critical for better outcomes. The Cleveland Clinic reports that breast cancer, for example, has a 99% five-year survival rate if caught in stage 1. For prostate cancer, the survival rate of stage 1 detection is nearly 100%. In later stages where the cancer has spread, the five-year survival rate for both cancers drops to around 30%.  

Unfortunately, almost 70% of adults were behind on at least one recommended screening, per a survey by the Prevent Cancer Foundation. But the survey also found that 73% would be more likely to schedule a screening if informed about the importance. With the number of cases, including among people under age 40, increasing, educating employees about cancer screening is more important than ever. 

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Influencing a broad audience

To reach audiences of all ages, the Check for Cancer campaign uses a mixed communication strategy of billboards, event sponsorships and digital platforms, with social-first storytelling and interactive tools to appeal to younger generations in particular. 

It has also broadcast the message through its relationship with the college sports world, running a video on ESPN during last August's Aflac Kickoff Game, and recirculating it on social media. Owenby notes that this strategy has helped capture young people's attention on this issue — and makes it more approachable in the eyes of everyone — which is critical for improving future outcomes.  

This type of broad positive influence is something employers can have, too. Education about benefits and passing along important health information, such as preventative health measures, is a start, says Owenby. Pushing employees to establish a relationship with a general practitioner and get regular wellness checks in addition to screenings, are more ways organizations can help their workforce stay healthy and catch issues earlier, he continues. This not only shows a high level of care for employees, but benefits the business as well. 

"There are profound benefits to an employer," he says. "Prevention lowers the overall expense related to healthcare for a corporation … [and] it's much easier to retain employees who feel cared for than it is ones that don't. If you want to make people sticky, one primary element, other than paying them appropriately, is to give them care through good benefit programs." 

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A special call to benefit leaders

Owenby urges benefit leaders to be at the forefront of healthcare messaging, and to put together benefits they feel proud to share with their workforce. 

"Commit to being better, more consistent, more clear communicators in 2026," he says. "Be available, get the image out there and drive the conversations — it cannot [just come at] annual enrollment time. It's more about ensuring that we're taking care of people, and communication is one way you can show that you care."