Chances are, you won't live to be 100. But Americans are living longer than ever, a fact that hasn't escaped the insurance industry.

Eager to tap a growing market of older, healthy Americans, the industry is making term life insurance affordable to older customers. According to the Web site QuickQuote, a 65-year-old in good health can buy a 10-year, $500,000 term policy for about $2,500 a year.

Most older Americans don't need life insurance because they don't have dependents. But in a few limited cases, a term policy may make sense.

Don't confuse these term policies with the "guaranteed" life insurance that is often advertised on late-night television. You don't need to take a medical exam to qualify for a guaranteed life insurance policy, says Lou Geremia, president of Insurance.com, an online insurance provider. But premiums are usually very high, and the payout is low — usually just enough to pay funeral costs, he says.

With traditional life insurance, premiums are much lower, but coverage isn't automatic, Geremia says. You have to meet the insurer's criteria, which usually means taking a medical exam.

It's not hard to see why the insurance industry is targeting seniors. The number of Americans 70 and older is expected to double by 2035. And older Americans account for a small percentage of life insurance sales, creating lots of room for growth.

Before you buy a policy, understand the risks.

Some insurers report an increased interest among older customers in term life insurance, which pays out a death benefit if you die while the policy is in effect. But if you outlive the term of your policy and apply to renew it, your premiums likely will skyrocket, says David Bergmann, a financial planner in Marina del Rey, Calif.

Cash value life insurance, such as whole life and universal life insurance, has an investment feature and is designed to provide permanent coverage. But the policies are much more expensive than term life insurance, says Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America.

Before investing in a cash value policy, consult a fee-only financial planner who doesn't receive commissions for selling a particular product, Hunter suggests.

Traditionally, parents of young children have been the biggest buyers of term life insurance. But some older Americans have big responsibilities, too.

You may want to consider a term life policy if:

• You want to provide security for dependent grandchildren. Many older Americans are caring for their grandchildren, says Chris Cooper, a financial planner in Toledo, Ohio.

• You want to provide financial security for a younger spouse.

The downside: You could outlive your policy. If you're in your 60s, you may be able to find a company that will sell you a 20-year term policy, Greenhill says.

But there's a reasonably good chance you'll live into your 80s, which means you'll have to come up with another way to support your spouse.