I don't think curing illnesses is the same as extending life, but if it is I might agree with you.

Well, so far curing and preventing illnesses is how we've extended life. There's room for an argument that, after we're done with all current major illnesses, we'll still have to solve the problem of debilitating aging to increase life further. But who knows if that's just pessimism.

Even if it's the case, we're also doing steady progress in the "make people more robust" department: orthopedics, transplants, pacemakers, better nutrition and supplements, better environmental health, ...

I guess it makes sense, because there's strong and continuous economic pressure to achieve those things, while there isn't a case (yet?) for getting to hibernation via baby steps.