The imbalance between the demand for health services and their supply leads to a decrease in the availability of health care. The aim of the study is to analyze the key mechanisms of the policy  on reducing the waiting time for planned medical care. The issues of ensuring the guarantee for maximum time limits are studied; the foreign experience of managing waiting times for medical care is reviewed, the possibility of applying it in Russian practice is analyzed; the possibilities of reducing waiting times at the level of medical organizations are considered. The review of foreign experience shows a purposeful state policy to reduce waiting times, and allows us to determine the most effective measures. In Russia, the guaranteed maximum patient waiting times are shorter than in most of the countries reviewed, however, state resources do not support these guarantees; there is no unified state approach for monitoring, and no well-thought-out mechanism for their regulation, based on both system capabilities and social needs. Taking into account the studied international and Russian experience, the recommendations for creating a system for managing the waiting time for planned medical care in Russia are proposed.