The Business of Healthy Aging: Applying CX and Behavioral Design to Close the Healthspan Gap

The world is experiencing a longevity revolution. Advances in medicine, technology, and lifestyle have extended human lifespan, yet the gap between how long we live and how long we stay healthy is widening. On average, people now spend nearly a decade—or more—of their later years battling chronic illnesses, disabilities, and declining quality of life.

Addressing the growing disparity between lifespan and healthspan is more than a healthcare challenge—it’s a business imperative.

As populations age, every industry will feel the impact. Companies that recognize this shift and design for the longevity journey—the key life moments that shape long-term health—will be the ones to thrive in the coming decades.

The key to unlocking this opportunity? Customer experience (CX) innovation and behavioral design.

Applying customer experience (CX) strategies and behavioral design principles—including longevity journey mapping, moments of truth (MoTs), and behavioral archetypes—businesses can anticipate and respond to the critical moments when individuals are most open to change. By doing so, organizations can build innovative, longevity-focused solutions that not only support healthy aging but also drive business growth.

Why Every Company Should Care About the Longevity Journey

While the widening gap between lifespan and healthspan might seem like an issue confined to the healthcare sector, it’s a structural shift that will affect every industry.

Organizations across all sectors will be facing a workforce with more health-related needs. Employers must tackle rising absenteeism, declining productivity, and higher healthcare costs while ensuring older employees remain engaged and supported.

At the same time, shifting consumer needs will drive demand for products and services that support proactive health management, longevity, and quality of life. From finance to food and cars to entertainment, every industry will need to rethink its approach to serving an aging population. For example:

• Financial services: Financial institutions may need to develop new savings, investment, and insurance products that account for longer lifespans and rising healthcare costs.
• Automotive: As the population ages, there may be a greater need for autonomous vehicles, age-friendly ridesharing solutions, and ergonomic vehicle design.
• Retail: Retailers will likely need to adapt store layouts and product offerings to support longevity-focused shopping experiences. Grocery chains, for example, could use smart shelf technology to provide real-time nutritional recommendations.

The companies that anticipate and design for the longevity journey will gain a competitive edge—not just by meeting the needs of an aging population but by unlocking new revenue streams and long-term customer loyalty.

Applying CX Strategies to Extend Healthspan

Closing the lifespan-healthspan gap requires more than medical advancements—it demands a shift in how businesses engage, support, and guide consumers toward healthier choices. A strategic CX approach provides the framework for this transformation, helping organizations understand aging-related needs and create interventions that drive behavioral change.

A CX-driven longevity strategy is built on three core pillars:

• Mapping the longevity journey: Just as businesses map customer journeys to optimize engagement, they must map the longevity journey—identifying key life stages and transitions where people make critical health decisions. Research shows we don’t age at a constant rate, but experience “jumps” in aging around ages 44 and 60, making these natural inflection points. Companies that recognize these shifts and align products and services with key longevity stages can help individuals maintain better health over time while unlocking new market opportunities.
• Identifying key moments of truth: Moments of truth (MoTs) are pivotal life events—such as a health diagnosis, milestone birthday, or shift in financial or personal circumstances—that prompt individuals to rethink their health and lifestyle choices. Identifying and addressing these moments within the longevity journey enables businesses to introduce timely interventions when consumers are most receptive to change.
• Defining behavioral archetypes: Not all consumers approach health and longevity the same way. To design effective CX strategies, businesses can segment consumers using behavioral archetypes based on two key dimensions:
• Level of awareness: Some individuals are highly informed about longevity and healthspan, actively seeking solutions, while others have little awareness of the long-term implications of their choices.
• Willingness to change: Some people are eager to adopt new habits and interventions, while others resist change—even when faced with compelling data.

By understanding these archetypes, businesses can tailor their offerings to different consumer mindsets. People who are aware of their needs and open to change may appreciate self-service digital tools or personalized coaching. Meanwhile, those who are less aware or more resistant to change may benefit from education-based interventions, automated nudges, or incentives to encourage action.

Businesses that take a strategic CX approach to the longevity journey will not only help consumers make proactive health decisions but also create new business opportunities. Whether through wearables that encourage movement, financial tools that help people plan for longer lives, or retail experiences designed for aging populations, the companies that design for the longevity journey will be well-positioned for success.

As Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of Hevolution Foundation, put it at the 2025 Global Healthspan Summit: “We have to change our language; every one of us is a consumer, and all of us hope we don’t become patients.”

Supporting Better Aging: The Power of Behavioral Design

While a strategic CX approach helps businesses identify key moments when individuals are most receptive to making healthier choices, identifying these moments is only part of the equation. Companies must also apply behavioral design principles to drive meaningful action.

Many decisions that impact long-term health aren’t made consciously—they’re shaped by convenience, habits, and external cues. By applying behavioral design principles, companies can create products, services, and business models that make healthier choices the default, reducing friction and increasing engagement.

Prevention and compliance play a key role in narrowing the healthspan gap, but many people wait to take action until they face a health crisis. Behavioral design can encourage a proactive approach. Hotels, for example, may incorporate sleep-enhancing room features and fitness-friendly layouts to support travelers’ health goals. Grocery delivery services might use AI-driven recommendations to suggest healthier swaps based on past purchases, while financial apps could gamify long-term savings to ensure stability in later years.

Designing for longevity also means designing for accessibility. As the population ages, companies must rethink how they accommodate changing physical needs. Clothing brands may create adaptive fashion lines with easy fasteners, while smart home automation systems may incorporate fall detection technology for senior safety. Ecommerce brands may need to use a large-font text with high contrast to account for aging users with visual impairments, or ensure customer service channels are available in a range of options.

By implementing behavioral design practices, companies can help individuals make healthier choices and age well. Whether through thoughtfully designed environments, intuitive product features, or habit-forming techniques, behavioral design helps shift well-being from an afterthought to a natural part of daily life.

Longevity Innovation: The Next Competitive Edge

Healthcare providers and policymakers have a pivotal role to play in addressing the lifespan-healthspan gap at a systemic level, but the private sector has an equally important opportunity to drive change. Companies that understand and cater to the longevity journey—integrating CX strategies and behavioral design practices into their offerings—can directly influence how people manage their health, adopt preventative behaviors, and sustain their well-being.

But this isn’t just about social responsibility—it’s a strategic business opportunity. The needs and expectations of an aging population are already reshaping industries, and companies that adapt will lead the next wave of innovation. By anticipating these shifts and integrating longevity-focused solutions, businesses can unlock new markets, deepen customer relationships, and differentiate themselves in competitive markets. More importantly, they’ll be shaping a future where longevity isn’t just about living longer—it’s about living better.