1. Identify
a policy that is not usually intended to be a health policy but that you think
may have important health implications.
The Trump administration reversed an Obama administration action to lower Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance premiums for new homebuyers, costing eligible homeowners more then 500$ annually.
2. Describe why an evaluation of that policy is informative (e.g., determining effects of the policy, or primarily a test of hypothesized mediators).
The threat of losing a home has repeatedly been shown to leave individuals vulnerable to illness, with research having shown that a correlation exists between foreclosure rates and people’s health in multiple US states (Kalita, 2011).
3. Specify the outcomes and populations you think most affected or least affected by the policy.
Outcomes may include Illness, divorce, job loss, personal and family stress. Low SES and minority groups are particularly susceptible, as well as individuals with chronic health problems.
4. Propose a study design to evaluate the policy.
A study could investigate the impact of foreclosure on health outcomes in various SES categories.
5. Describe biggest challenge to implementing and drawing inferences about the impact of the policy on health.
The policy makers argue that it is important to ensure that the FHA fund remains financially strong (the FHA was going bankrupt) to further support homeownership in the future, which would also have an impact on health outcomes.