Beijing Times says authorities must also act quickly to introduce acceptable quality standards for bottled drinking water to allay public fears about contamination from deteriorating air and water quality as well as polluting industries.
The Ministry of Health has denied reports that it will introduce a new "treatment first, payment later" system this year for medical treatment, The Beijing News reports.
Last year reports in the state-controlled press suggested that Beijing and Shenzhen, as well as Chongqing and Shanghai, would be among the first cities to introduce such taxes.