Neurologists, urologists, orthopedists: Germans particularly often consult a doctor. The waiting times are long. And this despite the fact that there are around 50,000 specialist practices nationwide, an unprecedentedly high number in Europe. Both – the many practices and the many patients – make the system expensive. To save, The federal government now wants to cut doctors’ budgets. But that’s not a solution, says Jörg Saatkamp, professor of health economics at the Zittau/Görlitz University. Like a drug that only addresses the symptoms, not the cause.