The most important wish of the citizen is his health. The welfare state and the solidarity community have guaranteed him protection and the restoration of his health within the bounds of medical possibilities. As long as the working population and, with it, the solidarity community and public budgets were expanding, there was no need for concern. In serving the sick, the healthcare sector seemed to have unlimited growth potential. However, the prospects have fundamentally changed: the aging of society, the shrinking number of employed individuals, structural changes in the economy, and the increasing number of unemployed younger people and older individuals who are no longer able to work have led to stagnation and decline in revenue. The disproportionately high increase in healthcare spending over the last few decades cannot continue in this manner.