The traditional family-based care practice is no longer sustainable, indicated the Deputy Secretary-General of the Insurance Association of Turkiye (TSB) Senol S Senturk.
He emphasised the importance of transitioning Turkey's predominantly family-based care model to an institutional, sustainable, and financially secure long-term care model.
He was speaking at a session titled "Long-Term Care and Insurance System: World Models and Turkey's Perspective" at the 11th Turkish Medical World Congress organised by the Turkish Ministry of Health and Health Institutes of Turkiye (TUSEB), reported InsuranceMedia.
Public-private collaboration is critical for long-term care services in Turkiye to achieve a sustainable model, he said. The private insurance sector is ready to support the publicly established long-term care model with complementary products and solutions, he asserted.
He evaluated examples of care insurance around the world and the current situation in Turkiye. He highlighted topics such as the sustainability of the current structure based on family care in Turkiye, compulsory premium-based long-term care insurance models in Germany and Japan, actuarial problems in individual care insurance in the US, and financing options in light of Turkiye's demographic transformation.
The Turkish government is encouraging the establishment of long-term care insurance. The 2026 Presidential Programme, published in the Official Gazette dated 30 October 2025, lists actions to be taken in the social security sector, including the provision of long-term care insurance, a measure that qualifies as a reform.
The proportion of the elderly in the total population in Turkiye is rising. By the end of 2025, the population aged 65 and over is expected to reach 9.5m, or 11% of the total population. By 2075, one in three people is expected to be elderly.
The 2026 Presidential Programme notes that this shift in demographic structure places greater strain on labor markets, social security systems, public finances, public services, and financing. It states, "As a result of this change, the need for long-term care services, in particular, is increasing."
The Programme includes targets, policies, measures and performance indicators determined in line with the fundamental objective of developing the country and improving the welfare of the people.