[Economizing potential in rehabilitation--through targetted patient selection]

Major economies need to be made in the health care system. The austerity legislation effective as of January 1, 1997 will result in considerable benefit cuts in the statutory health and pension insurance schemes, with major repercussions also in the field of rehabilitation. Possible devices for realizing potential economies are more precise targetting in patient selection, upgrading social-medical expertise, as well as adjusting rehabilitation more precisely to both patients' needs and economical service delivery. Appropriate tools have been developed by the health insurance scheme towards these ends.