Health
MHC is the only healthcare provider in Miteravia and as such receives the vast majority of the Ministry of Health's budget allocation. The purpose of the MHC being the sole provider of Healthcare in Miteravia is to provide a free and fair service for all Miteravian citizens and permanent residents. Healthcare services are seen as the most important public amenities, according to polls. The MHC is also a major employer within Miteravia, employing approximately 3.5% of the Population directly as either full time or part time workers; another 1% of the Population is employed in a subsidiary capacity as everything ranging from sub-contracted cleaners to fully-qualified ancillary consultants.
Costs
Healthcare is free for all holders of Miteravian citizenship or permanent residency, this includes all treatment and prescriptions issued anywhere in the world. All foreign nationals who require healthcare treatment within Miteravia are entitled to use the service and receive the same treatment as if they were Miteravian,
however foreign nationals may be billed. Those with work visas and members of allied armed forces/emergency services pay reduced fees, as do children under 18 and adults over 65.
Exemptions for foreign nationals are as follows:
- If the individual was the victim of a violent crime.
- If the individual was in a car accident with the vehicle they were in or hit by being operated by a Miteravian citizen or permanent resident.
- The condition was sudden onset and the individual had no prior history of the condition, e.g a heart attack with no history of heart disease.
- If the individual has travel insurance any excesses will be covered.
- The individual has refugee status/asylum seeker or other protected status.
- The home nation of the individual denies treatment on the grounds of their religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or other protected characteristic.
Failure of a foreign citizen to pay for their treatment will result in the MHC attempting to obtain the cost of their treatment from the country of residence, their country of residence holds no obligation to actually reimburse the MHC. In the event that the neither the individual or their home country pays for the treatment they received in full, then the individual can be deported and banned from re-entry.Function
The MHC system is meant to provide all necessary health-related treatment services which included mental health, family planning and contraception, prescription dispensary, help quitting smoking/drugs and many other functions and services. Advice is available online in a centralised form from the MHC website. Dental services of all forms are also part of the MHC domain. Cosmetic surgery is provided for on a case-by-case basis, it is more commonly assigned free of charge to transgender individuals, fire and acid burn victims and those with a significant body dysphoria and dysmorphia.
Private healthcare services may not insure for benefits already covered by the MHC and thus are functionally irrelevant if the insurance policy holder is a citizen/permanent residient who does not travel. MHC provides basic travel cover for free although only for necessary procedures, not including planned surgery or giving birth for example. Generally, additional insurance is unnecessary.
Welfare
Miteravia possess one of the most extensive welfare systems in Albion or even in Mundus, with the purpose of 'caring for those in need', it is one of the most extensive outside of socialist/communist nation. It is the brainchild of a coalition of the members of the Worker's Party and SLP and thus is seen as the cornerstone of their bi-partisan alliance. The MCP stands staunchly opposed to such high public spending in this sector and the high tax rate associated with it. Establish initially during the war as a system of care and aid for the wounded, it is the earliest notion of a government scheme produced by a democratic government in Miteravia. If an individual's income from work and benefit entitlement combined is over $40,000 annually then they may not receive any benefits taking their actual income over $40,000. The $40,000 mark is often refereed to as the Maximum Entitlement Cap (MEC).
Wages and Hours
Notably, minimum wage and maximum work hours varies with age as follows:
- Under 14 - 0 Hrs of paid labour
- 14-16 Year olds may work up to 15 hours a week with a minimum wage of $4.50
- 16-18 Year olds may work up to 28 hours a week with a minimum wage of $6.20
- 18-25 Year olds have no limit on the number of hours they work and have a minimum wage of $10.75, a 40-hour working week gives a weekly salary of $430 or $22360 annually.
- At the age of 25 minimum wage rises to $12.50 an hour, a 40-hour working week giving a weekly salary of $500 or an annual salary of $26000
- At the age of 65 weekly work hours are capped at 45
All employers must provide a minimum of half an hour of paid break per 4 hours of work undertaken by the individual and may allow unpaid breaks as frequently as they please. Practically all SOEs provided a 1 hour lunch break for an 8 hour shift, they are also obligated by law to give an annual pay rise of at least half of inflation. Overtime payment is a mandatory minimum 50% increase in hourly pay. Minimum annual paid leave is 5 working weeks a (a 5 day week would give 25 days holiday) year although commonly employers give between 5 and 6 weeks, employers have no obligation to those who don't work on public holidays although those that do work over a public holiday are entitled to overtime. Sick leave up to 1.5 working weeks is paid by the employer, after that Extended Illness Benefit (EIB) sets in.
War Reparation Benefits (WRB)
Any individual wounded as a direct result of the Civil War and subsequent Revolution is entitled to benefits from the state. The purpose of the WRB is to provided financial aid to those who have lost the ability to be as productive. All WRBs are independent of other benefits and thus do not effect disability benefits.
Walking Wounded
Currently the most widely claimed benefit of the WRBs is the Walking Wounded benefit, it applies to civilians who did not take part in active combat or aid the revolution but experienced a minor wound (Deemed to be non-debilitating and temporary injury, e.g flesh wound from a bullet or shrapnel). A claimant is entitled to receive $87 a week until the condition resolves itself. Walking Wounded may only be claimed for two years before the injury is considered long-term.
Heroic Wounded
Another widely claimed WRB is the Heroic Wounded benefit which is for those who took part in active combat or aided the revolution (e.g medics or administratively) and were wounded for their troubles, receiving a minor wound (as defined above). A claimant is entitled to receive $103 a week until the condition resolves itself. Heroic Wounded may only be claimed for two years before the injury is considered long-term.
Long-Term Wounded (LTW)
This WRB is designed for those who have either been afflicted by minor wounded for more than two years or will be afflicted by a major wound (loss of limb/paralysis/blindness etc.) for the rest of their lives. If the individual has claimed Walking Wounded or Heroic Wounded for two years then further assessment by a doctor is necessary before they can claim LTW. If they initially claimed either Minor Wound benefits then the individual is entitled to $103 a week until the condition is resolved, if the condition goes unresolved then they continue receiving the benefit. If the individual suffered a serious wound then they are entitled to $167 a week (on top of disability benefit if they are entitled), upon death the state also pays funeral costs.
Heroic Sacrifice
If a combatant died during the conflict fighting for the revolution the individual is entitled to have their funeral costs covered by the state and their next of kin will receive $175 a week. If the individual has no living next of kin or the next of kin is deemed to be a significantly distant relative (such as family members that had never met the individual) then they benefit is not paid out. If they had a will with a clear beneficiary such as a non-married partner, charity or friend then they will receive half of the Heroic Sacrifice benefit.
Social Protection Benefits (SPBs)
SPBs exist to help provide for those who have fallen on hard times or otherwise are struggling to make ends meet. This set of benefits is born from the governments goal to have no citizens below the poverty line before 2022, it is also designed to temporarily form the backbone of income for people and families who are financially struggling and to provide a sufficient supplement to those who are financially unstable.
Job Seeker's Allowance
Upon an individual becoming unemployed, after they have received their last paycheck from their previous job, they may register as a Job Seeker with their State Employment Center. A registered Job Seeker will then be entitled to claim the Job Seeker's Allowance for as many weeks as they have worked in the last 30 calendar months. Job Seeker's Allowance is paid at 70% of previous earning up to the MEC, therefore a maximum of $769.23 a week can be paid out under this scheme for individuals who earned more than $571428.57 annually before becoming unemployed.
OOC: Credits to
The Young Pope for his
inspiration.