[A DRG based future hospital funding scheme: state of implementation and impact in the field of rehabilitation].

With the statutory health insurance reform act 2000 the German government started to introduce a new hospital funding system based on an internationally used diagnosis related groups (DRGs) system. In June 2000 the German self-administration board (consisting of the German hospital federation, the German statutory health insurance funds and the association of private health insurers), which is in charge of realizing this project, decided to develop the future German (Refined) DRG System (G-DRG) with reference to the Australian Refined DRG System (AR-DRG) Version 4.1. Replacement of the previous German hospital reimbursement system by the new DRG-based hospital funding system is planned for January 2003 on a voluntary basis. From January 2004 on, the change of the reimbursement system is to become mandatory for all hospitals with the exception of psychiatry. The new reimbursement system is intended to not only cover acute hospital care but also parts of early rehabilitation, palliative and sub-acute care. Because of its economic incentives the effects of DRG introduction in Germany will not only be limited to the hospital scene but will also affect rehabilitation.