Chapter 246: Medical Reimbursement Policy
Thanks to the large influx of immigrants and an increased number of indigenous people working in agriculture, in 1907, Australasia's total grain output surpassed 6.7 million tons for the first time, reaching a new high since the country's establishment.
Considering the per capita grain consumption in Australasia, the grain produced in 1907 was enough to sustain a population of over 20 million. Furthermore, Australasia also had a well-developed livestock industry providing various meats and dairy products.
Thanks to the additional immigrants and indigenous workers, the per capita arable land area in Australasia increased by about 10%, even with an increase in the agricultural workforce.
With the population growth rate in 1907, it was expected that in another five years, Australasia's population would officially exceed 10 million. By the time of World War I, the population should be over 10 million. While it wouldn't rival the larger powers, the population issue wasn't as serious.
More importantly, the proportion of British descendants in Australasia had consistently remained above 70%, which was a significant factor in the country's stability.
Similarly, the per capita annual income in Australasia had steadily increased. Since Arthur's arrival in Australasia, the average annual income had been on the rise. By the end of 1907, the average annual income in Australasia had reached 43 Australian dollars, 44 Australian dollars in Australia, and 40 Australian dollars in New Zealand.
The per capita annual income in the two colonies, New Guinea and Timor, were 35 and 14 Australian dollars, respectively. However, Timor's income had little reference value since it had only recently become a colony, and its primary focus was on restoring order and stability.
Both Australia and New Zealand had entered a period of prosperity. With basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter secured, the healthcare and education needs of the people were also well met.
The majority of people in Australasia now had savings, and a considerable number had small assets. With support from the royal consortium, Australasia had seen the rise of a large middle class, along with many small workshops, factories, and privately owned shops and stalls. These businesses made significant contributions to the economic prosperity of the country, indirectly driving the country's economic development.
Sydney had three of the most prosperous commercial streets, lined with merchants from around the world, selling and promoting their products.
As Australasia's economy continued to develop, the country's reputation in Europe also grew. This was one reason why more European immigrants were moving to Australasia. With basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and education taken care of, Australasia's immigrant appeal was starting to rival that of the United States.
The most attractive part about Australasia was not only its lack of racial tensions (unlike countries with dark chocolate populations), but also the abundance of indigenous labor available for work. Although this was under a leasing arrangement, the labor force was still readily available for use, making it an ideal place for Europeans dreaming of becoming farm and factory owners. After all, being a capitalist in Australasia was far better than being exploited in the United States.
The welfare policies for workers and civilians in Australasia had spread throughout Europe and the United States. Many were fond of Arthur, the monarch who tirelessly protected the interests of the common people, even if they lived in free republics.
Even in recognized world powers like the United Kingdom and Germany, people could not be sure their working conditions would be as guaranteed as in Australasia.
While the wages of Australasia's workers might not match those of the great powers, they had no need to worry about their wages being deducted, oppressed, or exploited. Not only would workers receive their wages on time, but they also enjoyed legal holidays, triple overtime pay during holidays, and small gifts and blessings during important celebrations.
Factories could rely on a large indigenous labor force, which eliminated the need to exploit their workers and reduced the risk of worker strikes. Indigenous labor was easy to manage, as there was no concern about their well-being, and when an indigenous worker died, the government would simply send replacements to replenish the workforce.
Currently, Australasia controlled several million indigenous workers, and with the Netherlands East Indies and Southeast Asia's populations reaching over a billion, Australasia's consumption of indigenous labor was outpaced by the indigenous population's natural reproduction rate.
The most frequent use of indigenous labor in agriculture was in the New Guinea colony. With a population of just over 30,000, New Guinea employed over 100,000 indigenous workers in agricultural tasks. The agricultural output from New Guinea accounted for one-thirteenth of Australasia's total output, approximately 520,000 tons.
The agricultural output from New Guinea alone was sufficient to feed New Guinea, Timor, and New Zealand. Furthermore, New Guinea's land area was vast, and agricultural development had only just begun. If tens of thousands of indigenous workers were invested into the area, New Guinea could become Australasia's main food supplier. Eventually, the agricultural output from New Guinea alone would be enough to sustain 10 million people.
Thanks to the country's food production, Australasia had established one or more large grain storage facilities in every state except Timor. The largest storage facility was the Newcastle grain storage in New South Wales, with a reserve capacity exceeding 200,000 tons, enough to feed over a million people for a year.
The size of Newcastle's grain storage was due to the relatively small land area of the capital region, which emphasized industrial and economic development. The Sydney grain storage facility had less than 100,000 tons of reserves, so some of Newcastle's grain was allocated to Sydney.
The combined total of all the grain storage facilities in Australasia reached nearly 1.5 million tons, theoretically enough to feed 6 million people for a year. With the country's developed livestock industry, even if Australasia had no grain production in a given year, there was no need to worry about famine.
Once the grain in storage was a year old, it would be sold to neighboring countries in need, and any vacancies would be replenished with new crops. After all, food that has been stored too long is not ideal, as it can mold and spoil, losing its flavor and taste.
Currently, grain exports brought in significant income for Australasia, especially during the East Asian famine. Australasia's grain exports during that period were very profitable.
Because of the abundance of domestic grain and the thriving livestock industry, the value of Australasia's grain and meat products remained relatively low. In Australasia, it was very common to have a full meal with meat.
While the number of hospitals did not change much—since building hospitals requires substantial funding and experienced medical staff—the Ministry of Health did implement a public medical policy in 1907 to greatly reduce people's healthcare burdens.
Under this policy, medical expenses exceeding 20 Australian dollars could be reimbursed by the government. Generally, the reimbursement covered no more than 30%, but at least 10% would be reimbursed.
For medical expenses exceeding the average annual income, the reimbursement rate ranged from 20% to 40%. For medical expenses exceeding twice the annual income, the reimbursement could be as high as 40% to 50%.
This policy primarily catered to those with major illnesses, ensuring that most people in Australasia could receive treatment for serious health conditions, as major illnesses were still a significant burden for most families, whose savings rarely exceeded 100 Australian dollars.
For medical treatments under 20 Australian dollars, the government had some welfare policies, but the subsidies were generally under 5%. Most common ailments did not warrant large reimbursements.
While the reimbursement policy's strength may not seem impressive, it was rare in the world today. Thanks to such medical welfare policies, the people of Australasia were proud of their country and government and always remembered Arthur for improving their lives.
This policy was also an important factor in attracting immigrants to Australasia. Such medical benefits were extremely rare, and even top powers like Britain and Germany dared not implement such policies.
The reason Australasia was able to implement this medical policy was due to the fact that 50% of the funding came from the royal family. This meant the government only needed to pay half, and with Australasia's relatively small population, the fiscal burden was manageable.
For Europeans, this medical benefit was an enormous attraction. Even self-proclaimed "civilized" European countries would not dare to implement such welfare policies due to the significant financial burden they would place on the state.
More importantly, while a country might afford such benefits, it's much harder to reverse once they've been established. If the government later tried to cancel these policies, it would face massive public resistance.
This is why most European countries, despite knowing that such policies would greatly win the people's hearts, continue to ignore the possibility.
If Australasia can solve the current shortages of medical supplies, especially medicines, the country's healthcare issues will be largely resolved.
(End of Chapter)
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