Longevity is no longer a theoretical concept. It has become a reality, one that is reshaping healthcare systems, financial planning, and societal expectations. But longevity alone does not guarantee preparedness for the years that it adds. So, the question becomes: how ready are we, really?

As global life expectancy continues to rise, we are slowly learning that other systems are not necessarily keeping pace with this shift. Factors such as finances, health status, housing, care planning, and behavioral readiness are not advancing at the same rate as lifespan extension. Instead, they seem to be fragmented and underdeveloped.

What is the Longevity Preparedness Index and Why It Matters

In a new initiative, John Hancock, in collaboration with the MIT AgeLab, has unveiled a first-of-its-kind personalized Longevity Preparedness Index (LPI). The tool is designed to help individuals understand how prepared they are to thrive as they age.

Developed as an interactive assessment, it allows individuals to answer a series of questions across eight domains:

• Health
• Finance
• Care
• Home
• Daily activities
• Community
• Life transitions
• Social connection

The tool then generates actionable insights that help identify gaps and opportunities to improve preparedness for longer life.

This framework moves beyond traditional retirement metrics, providing a more comprehensive view of aging readiness. And with statistics showing that the U.S. population is older today than it has ever been (with the number of Americans aged 65 and older expected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050) tools like the LPI offer valuable insight into how individuals can better prepare for longer, healthier lives.

But, despite this demographic shift, preparedness has not kept pace. According to survey data of over 1,300 adults, U.S. consumers scored an average of 60 out of 100 in overall longevity preparedness, indicating that most adults are underprepared for longer lives, particularly in areas such as care, housing, financial readiness, and health.

As Brooks Tingle, President and Chief Executive Officer of John Hancock, explains:

“Our inaugural Longevity Preparedness Index introduces a new way of thinking about longevity – it’s frankly no longer just about how much you’ve saved for retirement or even about how healthy you are; it’s also about where you’ll live, how you’ll get where you need to go, how you’ll fill your days, and who you will share your time with. And the results of the Index tell us that while some people are preparing for longer lives, there is much more our industry can and should be doing to help customers.”

What This Means for Longevity Preparedness

According to Dr. Joe Coughlin, Founder and Director of the MIT AgeLab:

“Our goal with the LPI is simple: expand the conversation around what it means to prepare well for longer lives by taking a holistic perspective.”

Ultimately, the LPI points to certain gaps in preparedness as well as highlighting areas where individuals may already be making meaningful progress. These insights can help guide more intentional planning, encourage earlier intervention, and support more proactive decision-making around aging.

Having access to this type of data allows individuals to better anticipate their future needs and take steps today that may significantly improve outcomes later in life.

Interestingly, early findings from the index point to several key patterns:

Overall Longevity Preparedness is Generally Low

On average, individuals scored 60 across all eight domains, with care, home, and health emerging as areas with the greatest room for improvement.

Women Outperformed Men in Most Domains

Women scored higher in areas such as care, social connection, daily activities, and managing life transitions, while men scored higher in financial preparedness.

The Biggest Longevity Blind Spot

Care emerged as one of the most significant gaps, with many individuals reporting they do not know who will care for them as they age or how they will afford that care.

These findings underscore the critical reality: that while lifespan may be increasing, structured planning and preparedness is not keeping pace.

Implications for Longevity Medicine

For clinicians, the LPI reinforces an important shift that is already happening in longevity medicine: moving beyond reactive care and disease management to a more proactive, systems-based approach to prevention.

Improving healthspan does more than support physical health. It can also directly influence how independently someone lives, how socially connected they remain, their cognitive and emotional resilience, and ultimately how well they are able to navigate the later years of life. In many ways, longevity preparedness becomes an extension of longevity medicine itself.

For providers, this means more than simply treating disease. They are increasingly being called upon to help patients navigate the broader realities of aging. Conversations around sleep, metabolic health, stress, exercise, hormone balance, nutrition, and social connection are becoming just as important as traditional clinical markers.

Findings from the LPI also reinforce something that longevity medicine has long recognized: that aging is highly individualized. People experience risk differently, age differently, and prepare differently. Data-driven tools and ongoing monitoring can help clinicians identify vulnerabilities earlier, personalize interventions more effectively, and support patients before decline significantly affects daily life.

Importantly, the index also highlights how interconnected longevity truly is. A patient’s financial stress, level of social support, cognitive health, mobility, and access to care can all influence long-term outcomes. As a result, longevity medicine providers may need to think beyond traditional biomarkers and move toward a more integrated model of care, one that incorporates preventative medicine, lifestyle medicine, functional health, and long-term planning.

For providers, this also represents a growing opportunity. As patients become more aware of the realities of longer life expectancy, so too will demand for personalized, preventative care strategies that help them prepare in meaningful ways. Clinicians who can help patients improve not only lifespan, but readiness for those years, may ultimately play a critical role in shaping the future of healthy aging.

“This is more than a planning tool – it’s a resource that can help translate insights into real-world decision-making. It’s a powerful catalyst for holistic planning conversations, helping individuals prepare for longevity with confidence and clarity.” – Wayne Park, CEO, Manulife John Hancock Retirement.

Sources: 

Population Reference Bureau: Fact Sheet: Aging in the United States 

John Hancock Introduces Personalized Longevity Preparedness Tool to Help Consumers Understand Readiness for Longer Lifespans 

US Consumers Struggle with Longevity Preparedness According to Inaugural "Longevity Preparedness Index" from John Hancock and MIT AgeLab