Cost control is easy:

1. Eliminate the fee-for-service model that only encourages bloat and inefficiency.

2. Force hospitals and clinics to advertise/make public the costs of treatment, so patients can make an informed decision (the billing department knows what everything costs, why can't we?). Also, doctors should provide a choice to patients where possible.

I specifically make that last sentence because my fiancee was told to show up for surgery a week before she was ready; resulting in unnecessary usage of pre/post-op space and staff not to mention the OR itself. Waiting a week would have saved work, time, drugs, and most importantly prevented a lot of pain on her part... not to mention leaving us with $3000 less in bills). Oh, and a day of paid vacation time on my part to be with her in the hospital during all this. The surgeon even mentioned that some other doctors told patients to just come back in two weeks, why was he trying to rush her in after only three days?!

3. Make it so that insurance companies actually have to compete amongst each other(health care coverage is the least competitive industry in the economy). I think I saw Tom post a more thorough explanation of this several weeks ago.

4. Something about malpractice suits.

I'm sure a few/some/many/most would disagree with that, but that's how I see things.