evidence: Today, the vast majority of adults across the world can expect to live decades past retirement age. The number of older adults1 will more than double to an estimated 1.6 billion by mid-century,2 marking one of the most profound demographic shifts in human history. However, while global society should celebrate having, on average, an additional 20 years of life expectancy since 1960,3 it has not been as successful in extending the span of healthy life. A person on average will live ten more years in medium or poor health, impacting the ability to live life fully and leading to increases in care and dependency. [...] People living in high-income countries enjoy up to a 27-year difference in healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth, compared with people born in low- and medium-income countries.25 However, within a country, the HLE can vary widely—for example, in England, people living in the least advantaged areas have a 19-year lower HLE than those in the most advantaged areas.26 [...] At a time of rapid demographic change, it is vital to seize this opportunity to promote healthy aging and participation for older adults. Whether considering one’s own mortality, the aging of family members, or the greying of the workforce, it’s important to ask: How can people live longer in better health? MHI, in its focus on "adding years to life and life to years," believes healthy aging is an imperative. People should expect and demand an extended health span in their older years and will need to decide on how to use this capacity.