It's a badge of honor for a company to be named to the annual Fortune 500 list, and it could be taken as an even greater sign that the insurance industry as a whole comprises about 10% of all companies mentioned.
While the total number of insurers dropped to 47 from 49 in 2010, the individual rankings of this year's insurers seemed to improve slightly. Berkshire Hathaway, which ranks No. 7 overall in 2011, is up from No. 11 in 2010, as the highest-rated insurer. American International Group Inc. is the next-highest rated insurer this year (No. 17), down one spot from last year, while UnitedHealth Group—the top-rated health insurer—also fell one spot to No. 22.
Aflac, which rose five spots to No. 125 in 2011, said in a statement that it's one of only 27 companies to appear on FORTUNE's list of
"We are pleased that Aflac continues to climb the ranks of the Fortune 500," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "It is a tribute to the hardworking people at Aflac who serve our customers every day and make our company an industry leader."
Listed below are all of the insurers that made this year's Fortune 500 list, ranked according to their category with their overall ranking listed to the right. (Note: Due to GAAP reporting principles, some mutual insurers are listed among the stock insurer groups.)
Health Care: Insurance & Managed Care
1. UnitedHealth Group — 22
2. WellPoint — 42
3. Aetna — 77
4. Humana — 79
5. CIGNA — 122
6. Health Net — 179
7. Coventry Health Care — 212
8. Amerigroup — 396
9. Universal American — 401
10. WellCare Health Plans — 420
11. Centene — 493
Life & Health (Mutual)
1. New York Life Insurance — 71
2. TIAA-CREF — 87
3. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance — 101
4. Northwestern Mutual — 112
5. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of America — 245
6. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans — 318
7. Mutual of Omaha Insurance — 399
8. Western & Southern Financial Group — 456
Life & Health (Stock)
1. MetLife — 46
2. Prudential Financial — 64
3. Aflac — 125
4. Lincoln National — 235
5. Unum Group — 239
6. Genworth Financial — 243
7. Principal Financial — 268
8. Reinsurance Group of America — 290
9. Pacific Life — 405
Property/Casualty (Mutual)
1. State Farm Insurance Cos. — 37
2. Auto-Owners Insurance — 425
Property/Casualty (Stock)
1. Berkshire Hathaway — 7
2. American International Group Inc. — 17
3. Liberty Mutual Group — 82
4. Allstate — 89
5. Travelers Cos. — 106
6. The Hartford Financial Services Group — 117
7. Nationwide — 127
8. USAA — 145
9. Progressive — 164
10. Loews — 168
11. Chubb — 185
12. Assurant — 285
13. American Family Insurance Group — 358
14. Fidelity National Financial — 398
15. Erie Insurance Group — 461
16. W.R. Berkley — 475
17. American Financial Group — 489
