I recently represented the AGEIST team at the annual Intercompany Long-Term Care Insurance (ILTCI) Conference to engage with industry leaders, discuss the evolving landscape of long-term care (LTC), and learn more about what leaders in the space are doing. This conference is the largest gathering of extended care industry leaders in the United States. The key takeaway? The industry is undergoing a transformation, focusing more than ever on wellness, innovation, caregivers, and the shared goal of helping people age in place.
Jeff Levin, chair of the ILTCI and vice president of care solutions at OneAmerica Financial, reflected on the event, saying:
“This year marked the 25th anniversary of the ILTCI Conference. With more than 1,000 registrants, the conference continues to be an annual event where the industry’s brightest, engaged, impassioned, and dedicated representatives gather for discussion, debate, networking, and education. We are an industry in the business of courageous conversations, tackling issues and challenges that others avoid. The work that is done makes a financial, physical, and emotional difference for individuals and their families faced with long-term care planning and support every day and will echo into eternity.”
The Growing Need for Long-Term Care Solutions
With over 120 million of us over the age of 50 in the U.S. alone, the need for long-term care solutions is greater than ever. Yet only about 7.5 million Americans currently own long-term care insurance, a fraction of those who may need it in the coming decades. As longevity increases, so do the challenges of maintaining independence, financial security, and access to quality care.
The LTC industry recognizes this growing need and is responding with innovative policies, a heightened focus on caregiver support, and wellness programs aimed at improving both the quality of life and the ability to age at home.
The Industry’s Momentum & New Developments
One of the most encouraging shifts in LTC is the integration of wellness programs into these policies. Insurers are now offering resources that help policyholders not just maintain but actively improve their overall well-being. These include:
- Exercise programs, which are designed to increase mobility, enhance balance and stability, and build strength to support an independent and active lifestyle. As Eric Levitan, CEO of Vivo, emphasizes: “Exercise is arguably the most impactful thing to improve health and independence. We consistently see increases in strength and endurance of 25% after just two months of consistent participation in structured exercise. These increases prevent falls, diseases of aging (like diabetes and osteoporosis), and improve abilities to do activities of daily living.”
- Nutritional guidance, which focuses on optimizing diet to improve energy, support immunity, and abate age-related health issues
- Stress reduction resources, such as mindfulness practices and cognitive health support to promote emotional and mental resilience
- Community and opportunities to engage with social networks and local wellness programs, thereby reducing the effects of isolation and fostering a sense of connection
These additions provide tangible benefits for policyholders (and those who care for them!), helping them build vitality, delay the need for advanced care, and ultimately reduce overall healthcare costs. If you currently own a long-term care policy, these new wellness offerings are a valuable perk. If you’re considering one, they’re an excellent reason to explore options with your financial professional.
Supporting Caregivers: A Critical Part of the Conversation
As more families take on caregiving responsibilities, the industry is finally recognizing the vital role caregivers play in long-term care outcomes. Today, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five U.S. adults are caregivers, up from one in seven in 2015. Research consistently shows that caregiving can take a toll on a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health, often leading to burnout and stress-related conditions.
Many LTC insurers are beginning to include features specifically designed to support caregivers, such as:
- Respite care benefits to provide temporary relief and reduce burnout
- Care coordination services and platforms to help families navigate available care options efficiently
- Educational resources that equip caregivers with essential knowledge, practical tools, and access to discounted services
Caregiver support isn’t just a nice-to-have perk—it’s essential. These benefits help protect the caregiver’s mental and physical well-being, improve the quality of care provided, and extend the ability of loved ones to age safely and comfortably at home.
Hybrid Policies: The Best of Both Worlds
Another major trend in the LTC space is the rise of hybrid policies, which combine life insurance or annuities with long-term care benefits. These policies are gaining traction as they provide more flexibility and eliminate the “use it or lose it” concern that often comes with traditional long-term care insurance. If you don’t end up needing LTC benefits, your policy could still offer a financial payout to your beneficiaries or generate retirement income.
“Helping employees think about their long-term care needs and finding different ways of funding through permanent life insurance was an instinctive path for us. Drawing from our expertise in the retirement space, the Lifetime Life product and its permanent term with an LTC rider, has been a natural fit for the conversations we’re having with our distribution partners and clients.” —Christin Kuretich, VP supplemental products at Voya Financial
Hybrid policies are particularly appealing for those looking to balance financial security with the potential for future care needs. Annuity-based hybrids can also offer tax advantages and income guarantees, providing an additional layer of stability during retirement. These products reflect the broader industry trend of adapting to changing consumer preferences by offering more versatile, comprehensive solutions.
A Shared Goal: Aging in Place
The desire to age in place—to remain at home for as long as possible—is universal, yet for many, it’s increasingly difficult to achieve.
The Problem: The Barriers to Safely Aging at Home
- The need for in-home care is growing, but the availability of trained caregivers is struggling to keep pace
- Healthcare costs continue to rise, making long-term care planning essential to avoid additional financial strain
- Many homes are not designed for aging and lack the needed features that support mobility and safety
- Social isolation among older adults is a serious concern, impacting both mental and physical health
The Solution: Industry-Wide Support to Age in Place
LTC providers, insurers, and policymakers are addressing these challenges by investing in proactive health measures to help people remain independent for longer. This shift is already delivering meaningful benefits.
- For policy owners, it means greater autonomy, enhanced mobility, and improved overall well-being
- For family caregivers, it provides access to available programs and wellness support
- For insurers, it reduces claims costs by delaying or preventing the need for intensive care
- For society, it alleviates the growing strain on caregiving resources and long-term care facilities
By prioritizing home-based care solutions, wellness initiatives, and caregiver support, the industry is working toward a future where more people can confidently age in place—on their own terms.
Looking Ahead
The ILTCI Conference made one thing clear: the long-term care industry is not just reacting to change—it’s driving it. With more momentum behind wellness programs, hybrid policies, and proactive aging strategies, the future of long-term care is looking more innovative, compassionate, and person-centered than ever.
As someone who falls into “the one in five U.S. adults” statistic, who is actively navigating this space—caring for my mom after working with hospice prior to my father’s passing—I’ve seen just how vital these changes are. The emotional weight, the decisions, the day-to-day logistics of caregiving—it’s a lot. But knowing that the industry is evolving to better support families like mine gives me hope. As we were reminded during the opening keynote session…we all have a caregiving story.
AGEIST is proud to be part of this movement, partnering with forward-thinking leaders and sharing insights that help our community make informed, empowered choices about aging well.
We’d love to hear from you. Share your experiences, your questions, and the topics you want to see addressed. Let us know what you’d like to share with LTC insurers or any questions you’d like answered. This is a conversation we’re all part of, and your voice makes a difference.
As a caregiver and member of the “sandwich generation”, I am so glad to see these issues addressed. Long term care is seen as unaffordable, so I will need to speak with my financial person about these new products.
Thank you for sharing! My mom absolutely wishes she had looked into options with regards to options around LTC solutions.
Another great article by Ageist!
This brings attention to the driving forces behind the leadership and innovation driving change in the long-term care industry. !
Thank you! While I tend to connect to and feel passionate about all of our articles, caregiving and LTC solutions are top of mind for me at this time. We relied heavily on Hospice (a WONDERFUL service) with my dad prior to his passing – and my sister and I are smack dab in the middle of supporting my mom as she undergoes treatment for lung cancer.
I found this article hard to believe, I’ve been a policyholder with MetLife since I was 56 and I am currently 72 and in that time I have lost 90 pounds and currently live a very active lifestyle. I called them recently and asked them to reassess my premium because my health was so good, it’s good because I made the active changes to improve it independently. The response was nothing I couldn’t even get them to call back. I had to call again and was told they do not make any effort to reassess premiums, no matter what. I would find d it illuminatingto hear a response to my statements. I feel the same way about my health insurance. I’ve worked so hard to take responsibility for my health, but my premiums continue to go up and there is no acknowledgment that some people take responsibility for improving health status and health outcomes and other people do not.
Randi – Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story—and congratulations on the incredible work you’ve done to improve your health and maintain such an active lifestyle! You’re absolutely right: individuals who take responsibility for their health should be recognized in more meaningful ways, especially by the systems that benefit from their healthier outcomes.
Your experience highlights a critical gap between personal health progress and how the long-term care and insurance industries respond. While our article aimed to spotlight emerging innovations and newer proactive wellness programs, we fully recognize that many legacy systems are still slow to adapt. Stories like yours are exactly why change is needed—and why it’s important to keep this conversation going. Thank you again for sharing your story.