Maryland’s ‘Longevity Ready’ Law Creates Framework for 100-Year Lives—What Other States Can Learn
Maryland is not planning for the distant future. It is responding to demographic changes that are already occurring. By 2030, nearly four Maryland residents are expected to be 60 or older, while nationally the US Census Bureau projects that adults 65 and older will outnumber children for the first time in American history. As Americans live longer, states are increasingly realizing that policies governing health care, housing, transportation and financial security must change as well. Maryland’s new Longevity Ready Maryland Act is one of the nation’s most ambitious efforts to prepare for that future.
Rather than treating aging as an isolated health care issue, the new law embeds longevity planning in all government agencies and public policy. The law could become a national model as more Americans live into their 90s, and increasingly, into their 100s.
The Act Makes Long-Term Planning a Permanent State Duty
Maryland Secretary of Aging Carmel Roques described the move as a move to stop treating aging only as a health problem and to prepare communities, employers, transportation programs and public services for longer life.
Signed into law as Chapter 93 during Maryland’s 2026 legislative session, the Longevity Ready Maryland Act requires the Secretary of Aging to lead the implementation of the 10-year Longevity Ready Maryland Plan. The law moves aging policy beyond traditional services for the elderly by making it a government-wide responsibility.
It also requires the Maryland Department of Aging to maintain an implementation tracking public dashboard and submit annual progress reports to the Governor and General Assembly. Every four years, the department must review the national plan to reflect changing demographics and emerging best practices. Supporters say enshrining this strategy in law ensures that it continues regardless of future political leaders.
The Plan Focuses on Four Long-Term Goals
Instead of focusing solely on health care, the Longevity Ready Maryland Plan is designed with four broad goals. These include building a national ecosystem, promoting economic opportunity, preparing citizens to afford longer lives, and improving health, wellness, and mobility.
In practice, that would mean increasing opportunities for older adults who want to stay in the workforce, improving support for caregivers, promoting age-friendly housing, and helping residents prepare financially for a longer retirement.
Together, these principles recognize that successful aging depends on housing, transportation, employment, care, financial security, and community planning, not just medical care. Government agencies are expected to collaborate across culturally diverse programs when implementing this program. This broad approach reflects the fact that almost every aspect of public policy affects how people age.
Multiple Agencies Must Work Together
One of the most innovative features of the law is its emphasis on interdisciplinary cooperation. The Department of Aging is specifically directed to work with other federal agencies, boards, commissions, health care organizations, local governments, non-profit organizations, and private sector partners. Instead of working independently, agencies are expected to coordinate policies that affect seniors across transportation, housing, health care, workforce development, consumer protection, and public services. The legislation also expands the Commission on Aging to include experts in technology, innovation, health care, academia, philanthropy, and consumer protection. This broad coverage reflects the growing complexity of aging policy in today’s society.
Financial Security is Considered Part of Healthy Aging
According to retirement researchers, a healthy 65-year-old couple today has a significant chance that at least one spouse will live into their 90s, extending retirement beyond what previous generations planned for.
Unlike many retirement plans that focus more on health care, the Maryland plan sees financial stability as an important part of living a long life. One of its main goals is to help citizens prepare to pay for longer lives through better retirement planning, job opportunities, and economic stability. Living to age 90 or older means that retirement savings may need to last 30 years or more, making financial stability just as important as physical health.
This creates new challenges around retirement savings, maintenance costs, housing affordability, and long-term care costs. The law encourages policymakers to consider these issues sooner rather than waiting until financial difficulties arise. For many citizens, planning for longevity now means preparing for decades (not just years) of retirement.
Commission on Aging Modernized
This legislation significantly expands the Maryland Commission on Aging. New members include representatives from Anti-Aging Organizations, civil rights organizations, technology experts, healthcare professionals, consumer protection experts, veterans, philanthropists, and innovation leaders. The commission is expected to better reflect Maryland’s diversity in terms of geography, race, ethnicity, disability, and life experience. Its responsibilities now extend beyond reviewing executive programs to advising the state on legislation, policy changes, and updates to the Lodevity Ready Maryland Program. These changes are intended to ensure that the state’s aging strategy remains responsive to changing demographics.
Transparency and Accountability Built into the Law
Maryland’s approach goes beyond strategic planning. It also requires public accountability. The Department of Aging should maintain an online resource that allows residents to monitor the implementation of the Longevity Ready Maryland Plan. Annual reports should summarize progress, research findings, legislative recommendations, and policy developments. Every four years, the state must publish an updated comprehensive plan informed by population projections, research, and the required State Plan on Aging. These reporting requirements help ensure that longevity planning remains an ongoing process rather than a one-time step.
Other States May Soon Follow Maryland’s Example
Maryland is part of a broader movement. More than a dozen states have developed multisectoral plans for aging, but Maryland is widely recognized as the first to permanently embed that planning framework into state law, making future implementation dependent on changing political priorities.
Demographic projections indicate that older adults will represent a growing portion of the population in nearly every state in the coming decades. Policy makers across the country face similar challenges involving labor shortages, care, access to health care, housing, transportation, and retirement security. By integrating long-term planning across multiple government agencies, Maryland provides a framework that other states can adapt to their own populations. As Americans continue to live into their 90s and beyond, planning for longevity may be as important as planning for economic growth.
Preparing for a Longer Life Starts Today
Instead of viewing aging as a small policy issue, the law recognizes that longevity affects nearly every aspect of society, from health care and housing to employment and financial security. By requiring long-term planning, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, modernizing the Commission on Aging, and emphasizing accountability, Maryland has positioned itself as a national leader in longevity policy. Other states facing rapidly aging populations can learn valuable lessons from this practical approach.
A big lesson from Maryland’s approach may be that longevity is not just a matter of health care. It is an economic, housing, labor, transportation, and community problem. As Americans continue to live longer, states that begin planning today may be better positioned to help future generations achieve greater independence, financial security, and quality of life.
Do you think your state should implement a long-term care plan like Maryland’s? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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