With less than a single caregiver per 100 seniors—well below the OECD average of 5—the need for a preventive approach to caring for the nation’s aging population is clear. Insurers are uniquely positioned to lead this charge, offering solutions that reduce risk and ensure a sustainable system for all. 

With one of the fastest-aging populations and highest shares of older adults—not just in Europe, but the entire world—Portugal has become dominated by debates over how to improve the lives of seniors.  

For while people in Portugal may be living longer, they’re not necessarily living “better.” Experts warn that the collapsing public health system and muted government response have left millions without the continuity of care needed to preserve their long-term health—producing one of the starkest gaps between longevity and healthy life expectancy seen across the continent. 

Today, more than 75 percent of the nation’s senior population lives in poor health—a figure only expected to rise as the population continues to age. And with the national health service in growing disarray, many are now turning to private insurance to fill the gaps. 

Yet even this offers no lasting solution—at least, not yet—as rising costs of increasingly precious care inevitably drive a familiar cycle of higher claims, steeper premiums to offset those claims, fewer and riskier clients, and declining satisfaction among them. 

To break the cycle, a fundamental shift is needed—from “protection” in the event of claims to “prevention” of those claims altogether. Experts at Deloitte and Bain & Company reinforce this, highlighting the financial, reputational, and societal benefits to be gained from a move toward whole-journey, whole-person support. 

Holistic Support: An Age-Old Answer to Today’s Age-Related Problems 

As research shows, most of the health challenges plaguing the nation’s elderly population today—hypertension, diabetes, immobility, depression, and anxiety—are in fact preventable, whether through healthy lifestyle changes, early intervention, or the mere presence of consistent, dependable support. 

Especially for those approaching retirement, proactive support can be particularly impactful, as this life stage typically marks a period of heightened vulnerability—physically, financially, socially, and emotionally—for individuals, driving both higher healthcare utilization and greater reliance on institutional figures, like insurers, to shoulder the costs. 

As the nation searches for a way to deliver satisfactory care at a sustainable cost to consumers, here would be a meaningful place to start. By helping individuals stay healthy—independently—through their later years, insurers can help ease the pressure on public health systems, lower the cost of care, contribute to a more sustainable insurance model, and improve satisfaction and quality of life for an aging population—a win for all.   

It all starts with care that is holistic, human-centric, and available across the entire customer journey.  

How Workplace Options Promotes Resilience in Retirement 

This emphasis on preventative, not reactive—proactive, not passive—support is one championed by Workplace Options (WPO), whose strategic partnerships with insurers help create an optimal customer experience across the policy term while simultaneously reducing claims exposure, strengthening market positioning, and supporting sustainable growth and long-term profitability for the insurer. 

Through a comprehensive blend of risk-management and wellbeing solutions—including preventive coaching, counseling, and daily living support, as well as post-trauma emotional support in the case of claims—WPO helps aging policyholders prepare for their retirement years by: 

• Educating them about the specific social, financial, and health-related challenges they may face; 
• Equipping them with the tools and strategies needed to proactively mitigate those risks; and 
• Enabling faster recovery and continuity of wellbeing when challenges do arise—reducing the likelihood of escalation and the need for costly intervention. 

When it comes to tackling some of today’s most substantial threats to older adults’ wellbeing—such as loneliness and chronic disease—WPO’s support is especially critical. With counseling, older adults not only receive a trusted connection to lean on in times of hardship or distress, but they also gain the internal skills needed to care for themselves in the absence of others; namely, self-awareness and self-compassion, emotional regulation, mindfulness and meditation, and the drive to form new connections and seek new experiences rather than retreat into self-isolation. 

Access to wellness coaching and daily living assistance, meanwhile, further ensures individuals have what they need to thrive long after the immediate window of support has closed. By helping policyholders build sustainable routines and connect with local resources aligned with their needs—from routine screenings to rehabilitation services—WPO supports long-term independence and reduces reliance on institutional care to maintain health. 

As Ricardo Sousa, Director of Business Solutions Iberia at WPO, attests, this pivot to prevention has become essential at a time when quality, curative care is increasingly scarce.  

“Policyholders are seeking more than just a payout—they’re seeking better health,” he explains, noting that without a functional healthcare system to support them, indemnity means little. “It doesn’t slow the demand for care, and it certainly doesn’t deliver the level of support clients expect.” 

To meet policyholders’ demand for a genuine investment in their wellbeing—not just a hedge against financial loss as their health declines—Sousa continues, insurers need to invest in the care that is within reach: preventive solutions such as counseling, wellness coaching, and resilience-building interventions.  

“By equipping policyholders with the tools they need to protect their health today and avoid challenges tomorrow,” he explains, “insurers create a model that ensures profitability while elevating the entire customer experience.”  

Preventing Costs Even in Crisis: The Power of Presence 

It’s this shift from a compensatory to a more comprehensive model of care that led Workplace Options to develop Presénce, a post-incident solution offering both practical and emotional support to individuals facing a claim.  

Because the claim marks such a pivotal moment in the customer journey—and the broader insurer-client relationship—compassionate support becomes critical. With Presénce, WPO not only delivers this support directly to clients but also helps claims teams provide more emotionally resonant support themselves, resulting in: 

• A smoother, more supported claims process; 
• Faster, more efficient settlement times; and 
• A more satisfactory, amiable experience for all parties involved 

In this way, preventive, human-centered care serves a dual purpose: helping policyholders avoid high-cost interventions before a claim is ever filed, and helping insurers avoid hefty expenses and the adversarial dynamics that can emerge when claims do arise. 

When both sides benefit from compassionate, human-centered care, the results are far-reaching: encompassing not only happier, longer-retained clients and staff and a stronger market reputation, but a healthier population and a more resilient healthcare ecosystem— outcomes certain to be reflected in insurers’ bottom line. 

Unlocking the Opportunity of Longevity 

As experts stress, longevity offers an invaluable opportunity to include aging adults in the progress of society. In living longer, people can participate longer—at work, in their communities, and in their own personal lives—unlocking fresh ideas and new skills, pursuing unmet dreams, and empowering others to lead healthy, fulfilling lives by doing so themselves. 

The effects of this extend far beyond a single demographic. By supporting healthy aging, insurers can reduce the strain on healthcare infrastructure, lower system-wide costs, and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable health system for all.  

“We know what’s behind rising care costs—and more importantly, we know how to stop it,” Sousa explains. “Insurers have both the opportunity and the responsibility to get ahead of the challenges facing the nation’s health system. Prevention is the most underutilized tool in the insurer’s arsenal. It’s time to put it to good use.” 

With Workplace Options’ support, a more sustainable, human-centered model of care is within reach. Connect with us today to learn how preventive support can strengthen your business—and transform the aging experience for millions.