The author presents two intervention processes occurred in São Paulo, in 1986. She briefly describes the environmental conditions that enabled the interventions to happen and explores the decision making processes related to them. In her conclusion, the author analyses the situations using variables from the Public Administration framework, such as political and financial aspects, managerial competence and control. Finally, she introduces the issue of health services delivery as a public good.Motivos que levam o Estado a intervir em serviços de saúde. Descrição de dois processos de intervenção. Análise de resultados à luz de variáveis de interesse da administração pública.