Integrated supply models are legally and politically supported in Germany. The aim of such models is to contribute to optimizing high-quality and economical patient care by promoting collaboration between service providers within and between the outpatient, acute inpatient, rehabilitation and nursing sectors. Due to the ongoing cost pressure in the German healthcare system, redundancies and frictional losses between the players should be reduced and the burden on social security funds should be relieved. An essential feature of integrated care models is that providers, consumers and cost bearers conclude an individual contract on the basis of selective contracts and on a voluntary basis (see §§140a and b SGB V). In doing so, the legislature has moved away from the collective bargaining system in order to promote greater competition and efficiency in the healthcare system. This opens up the possibility for health insurance companies in particular to select service providers according to their own criteria, negotiate remuneration systems and thus standardize service financing and service delivery under one roof (cf. Amelung 2009, p.6f.). The result is a change in the roles in the traditional triangular structure of insurance company - service provider - patient. The benefit for service providers is to distinguish themselves and professionalize themselves in the competition by offering special treatment programs. Proof of good quality and reputation thus becomes the focus of interest for service providers. Patients benefit from coordinated treatment and quality through, for example, integrated treatment paths (Waehlert/Wagner/Czap 2010) as well as possible bonuses/discounts or other improved conditions from the payers through participation in integrated care models. In return, the patients usually give up their free choice of doctor and undertake to recognize the performance control in the specified contract.

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