Key Words: Health care system reform --Health care policies --Managed care --Disease management --Cost containment --Health care quality --Biomedical innovation --Biomedical research --Neurological patient load --Neurology.The governments of nearly all the developed countries, whatever the type of health care system in use, are trying to change their health policies, in order to face a number of very grave problems. In the first instance, expenses are growing faster than available economic resources; secondly, it it becoming more and more difficult for the population to avail itself of health care services; thirdly, there is a growing dissatisfaction about the quality of health care, in relation to the cost sustained by the population.