Improving population health and reducing health care disparities.

The first goal of Healthy People 2010, to increase quality and years of healthy life, does not necessarily coincide with the second goal, to eliminate disparities among population groups. Improvement in the health of the total population without any reduction in relative disparities among racial and ethnic groups was the most frequent outcome at mid-decade for population-based Healthy People objectives. Strategies to maximize improvement in overall population health may have little or no impact on relative disparities or, indeed, may cause them to increase. An independent commitment to eliminating disparities may be necessary.