Some populations are at greater risk for illness and disease than others, and these groups should receive higher priority in policy efforts. In particular, some populations are more likely to be socially isolated (e.g., the poor and the elderly), and some are more likely to be burdened by caring for others in their social networks (e.g., women, especially African American women). Existing policies should also be re-evaluated to ensure that they help the populations that need them most. For instance, the FMLA may be entirely unhelpful for low-income adults who have no alternative source of income and are more likely to be without alternative sources of instrumental and emotional support.
