Curbing the nation's appetite: the case for controlling demand.

For too long, controls have been placed on the costs of services, the construction of health care facilities, the numbers and kinds of providers, and the health insurance industry with no concomitant limits being set on the rising demand for capital-intensive and specialized services. If we are to avoid having a debilitated health care system that will be unable to respond to community needs, the author says, a more balanced approach in controlling supply and demand will have to be sought. He discusses some of the conceptual, technical, and operational problems that must be addressed immediately if these actions are to be successful.