In the Federal Republic of Germany, the amount spent on investments in electromedical equipment and systems has remained constant at 0.7% of total health expenditure over the last 15 years. One-fifth of this sum is used for large medico-technical systems such as CT scanners, cardioangiography systems or shock-wave lithotriptors. Expenditure on this category of equipment, including investments and total application costs, amounts to 2 billion DM. This sum also amounts to 0.7% of total health expenditure, or 1.5% of the volume of the statutory health insurance schemes. This paper contains evaluation from various countries showing that the correct implementation of such high-performance units in diagnosis and therapy results in considerable savings. The cost-reducing effects can nevertheless be over-compensated by additional applications carried out due to the specific advantages of these technologies. However, the growing utilisation indicates improved and more economic medical care of the population.