This article characterizes Mario Testa's propositions regarding health planning, on the basis of his recent theorethical analysis. The characterization doesn't imply the construction of a planning method, as Testa only presents some elements for the understanding of health problems and planning processes. Testa consideres health problems as socially determined, and therefore he emphasizes the analysis of social actor behaviour, power relationships and health practices taken as ideological practices giving orientation to actors. Testa goes beyond the strategical health planning proposition and proposes a reflection on political action in health. Testa's thinking is based on such categories as power and ideology. This article discusses how he understands these categories. This discussion concludes that health practices are social practices and also are ideological practices influencing actor's view so, it is difficult to know how these world's views are going to change, Testa's propositions are inovating within the field of health planning, as they show that health actions have a power basis. The theses of Mario Testa regarding health planning are defended in light of their potential to transform reality, by revealing the role of social power in health related actions, and rendering explicit objectives regarding power relationships.