The health care system of the United States faces a number of economic problems, including rising hospital and labor costs, the price of technological advances, lack of incentives for economical medical care, and fear of malpractice lawsuits. The greatest potential for reducing cost increases lies with the private sector; the government does not have a good record in operating large welfare systems economically. Health maintenance organizations (HMOs), though authorized by legislation, are a private sector operation. To address the health care crisis, Froehlke suggests seven steps, all of which involve placing third parties, to some extent, between doctors and their patients. This approach is embodied in the bill that his organization has supported for seven years, the National Health Care Act.