UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                       ----------------------------------



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


        Date of report: March 2, 2004



                              REHABCARE GROUP, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


      Delaware                       0-19294                    51-0265872
   (State or other              (Commission File             (I.R.S. Employer
   jurisdiction of                   Number)                  Identification
   incorporation)                                                 Number)



        7733 Forsyth Boulevard
              23rd Floor
         St. Louis, Missouri                                    63105
(Address of principal executive offices)                      (Zip Code)

      Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (314) 863-7422



Item 7.     Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits. See Exhibit Index


Item 9.     Regulation FD Disclosure.

     RehabCare Group,  Inc.  issued a press release on March 2, 2004 announcing
     that it had completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity of American
     VitalCare, Inc. and Managed Alternative Care, Inc.

     The press release in its entirety is attached as Exhibit 99.1.





                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated:  March 3, 2004

                                       REHABCARE GROUP, INC.



                           By:/s/Vincent L. Germanese
                                -----------------------------------------------
                                 Vincent L. Germanese
                                 Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
                                  and Secretary




                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.       Description


99.1   Press release dated March 2, 2004 announcing that RehabCare Group, Inc.
       had completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity of American
       VitalCare, Inc. and Managed Alternative Care, Inc.




                                                                    Exhibit 99.1


                    CONTACT: RehabCare Group, Inc.
                             Vincent L. Germanese, CFO
                             Betty Cammarata, Director-Investor Relations
                             Press: David Totaro, Senior Vice President,
                                    Corporate Marketing & Communications
                             (314) 863-7422
                                    or
                             Financial Dynamics:
                             Gordon McCoun/Lanie Fladell
                             Press: Sean Leous
                             (212) 850-5600


For Immediate Release
March 2, 2004

  REHABCARE GROUP, INC. ANNOUNCES THE ACQUISITION OF AMERICAN VITALCARE, INC.
                       AND MANAGED ALTERNATIVE CARE, INC.

   -Purchase Further Extends RehabCare's Post-Acute Continuum in California-

ST. LOUIS, MO, March 2,  2004--RehabCare  Group, Inc. (NYSE:RHB) today announced
the acquisition of the market-leading  manager of hospital-based  specialty care
units in the  State of  California,  American  VitalCare,  Inc.  and its  sister
company,  Managed  Alternative  Care, Inc.,  (collectively  known as VitalCare).
RehabCare will acquire 100 percent of VitalCare's equity for $11 million in cash
plus  a  $3  million   subordinated   note.  The  businesses  are   wholly-owned
subsidiaries  of  Health  Net,  Inc.  (NYSE:HNT),  one of the  nation's  largest
publicly-traded managed healthcare companies.

     VitalCare,  established in 1985,  provides services for patients recovering
from  severe  trauma  injuries  to the head and spinal  cord,  and  degenerative
diseases such as  Amyotrophic  Lateral  Sclerosis and Multiple  Sclerosis.  Such
patients require  intensive  medical and pre- or  post-rehabilitation  care that
cannot be  administered at home or in skilled  nursing  facilities,  and have an
average  length of stay up to 120 days.  VitalCare is the  dominant  provider of
these services, managing close to 50 percent of the approximately 1,650 beds in

                                     -MORE-


REHABCARE GROUP, INC. ANNOUNCES THE ACQUISITION OF AMERICAN
VITALCARE, INC. AND MANAGED ALTERNATIVE CARE, INC.                        Page 2

California  licensed  for this type of  specialty  care.  The Company  generates
approximately  $14 million of  revenue,  and the  acquisition  is expected to be
modestly accretive to RehabCare's earnings in 2004.

     John H. Short,  Ph.D.,  Interim  President  and CEO of  RehabCare,  stated,
"Today's  announcement  is  an  important  step  in  the  further  expansion  of
RehabCare's management of the post-acute continuum of care in California, one of
our target  markets.  The  addition of  VitalCare  provides  RehabCare  with the
opportunity to introduce its management of the post-acute continuum of care to a
new range of hospital and skilled  nursing,  long-term care and assisted  living
clients.  Like  RehabCare,  VitalCare has a reputation for excellence and we are
very pleased to welcome VitalCare's highly skilled staff to RehabCare and to the
greater opportunities open to us in the expanded company."

     Dr.  Short  concluded,  "2004  has  already  been  a  year  of  significant
acquisition and transformation for RehabCare.  Our recently-announced  agreement
with UCLA Medical Center to build a 56-bed  freestanding  rehab hospital and our
purchase of CPR Therapies,  with its many skilled nursing facilities  throughout
Southern California,  adds to our existing acute rehab units and skilled nursing
facility  programs in this market,  and confirms our commitment to providing top
tier  rehabilitation  services  to those in need in target  markets we choose to
serve."

     RehabCare  Group,  Inc.,  headquartered  in St.  Louis,  MO,  is a  leading
provider of rehabilitation  program  management  services in over 700 hospitals,
nursing homes and other long-term care facilities  throughout the United States.
It provides services in acute care, skilled nursing,  outpatient and home health
settings  to fit the  clinical  needs of patients  in a  cost-effective  manner.
RehabCare  is pleased to be included in the Russell 2000 and Standard and Poor's
Small Cap 600 Indices.

     This release contains forward-looking  statements that are made pursuant to
the safe harbor  provisions of the Private  Securities  Litigation Reform Act of
1995.   Forward-looking   statements   involve   known  and  unknown  risks  and
uncertainties that may cause RehabCare's

                                     -MORE-


REHABCARE GROUP, INC. ANNOUNCES THE ACQUISITION OF AMERICAN
VITALCARE, INC. AND MANAGED ALTERNATIVE CARE, INC.                        Page 3

actual results in future periods to differ  materially from forecasted  results.
These risks and uncertainties  may include,  but are not limited to, the ability
of RehabCare  to  integrate  acquisitions  and to  implement  client  partnering
relationships  within the  expected  timeframes  and to achieve  the revenue and
earnings levels from such  acquisitions and relationships at or above the levels
projected;   the  timing  and  financial  effect  of  the  Company's  continuing
restructuring efforts with respect to the Company's current businesses;  changes
in and compliance with governmental reimbursement rates and other regulations or
policies  affecting  RehabCare's  hospital  rehabilitation  and contract therapy
lines of business; RehabCare's ability to attract new client relationships or to
retain and grow existing client  relationships  through expansion of RehabCare's
hospital   rehabilitation   and  contract  therapy  service  offerings  and  the
development of alternative product offerings;  the future operating  performance
of InteliStaf Holdings, Inc., and the rate of return that RehabCare will be able
to  achieve  from  its  equity   interest  in   InteliStaf;   the  adequacy  and
effectiveness of RehabCare's operating and administrative  systems;  RehabCare's
ability and the additional costs of attracting  administrative,  operational and
professional  employees;  significant increases in health, workers' compensation
and  professional and general  liability costs;  litigation risks of RehabCare's
past and future business,  including RehabCare's ability to predict the ultimate
costs and  liabilities  or the  disruption of its  operations;  competitive  and
regulatory  effects on pricing and  margins;  and general  economic  conditions,
including efforts by governmental reimbursement programs,  insurers,  healthcare
providers and others to contain healthcare costs.

NOTE: More information on RehabCare can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.rehabcare.com


                                      -END-