The pilot program to revamp State-owned hospitals slated for 16 cities this year marks the beginning of the much-debated reform to make healthcare services affordable. It is the first step in the long-term goal of establishing a desirable medical care system that is affordable and exceptional in service.

Similar to the hotly debated reform in the United States, which aims to cut high healthcare costs and realize universal coverage, China's move right now is to turn State-owned hospitals into nonprofit institutions and change the way most public hospitals rely on medicine sales for revenue.

Despite heated debate on healthcare policies in recent years, the reform still remains on the stage of making guiding principles for a general roadmap. None of the documents issued by the central government departments contain any specific measures that can be adopted by State-owned hospitals.