For appropriate decisions by pension insurance providers in rehabilitation and pension procedures, social medical assessment is of essential importance. The main focus of the expert activity is to gather the underlying facts and to evaluate and classify them socially and medically, with particular consideration of the individual case circumstances. A qualified assessment of the impact of emerging or already manifest health disorders on the earning capacity of insured individuals is particularly significant for the provision of benefits. The 7th edition has also been completely revised and updated by leading experts from the German Pension Insurance Association and aims primarily to promote the quality of social medical assessments and to ensure equal treatment of insured individuals through uniform medical standards.