[Geriatric rehabilitation from the economic viewpoint].

Geriatric rehabilitation has to be evaluated by cost-effectiveness measures and not only by effectiveness. This is also true for quality improvement actions. Quality can be too expensive according to its cost-effectiveness relationship. In Germany mandatory nursing insurance share in successful rehabilitation means a loss of financial resources to the nursing family members and to the nursing homes. The health funds which have to finance the rehabilitation are also not favored by the results. So rehabilitation is on a low level in the mandatory nursing insurance. Helpful would be to transfer rehabilitation from the health funds to the nursing funds. In the long run geriatric rehabilitation will win importance by the socio-demographic development.