Commonweal Commission (Ventora)

The Commonweal Commission (: Comisión de Común) is the Ventoran government cabinet-level department responsible for matters of health, education, labor, culture, and social well-being. Hildaga Iria Rosalía Puga Coello is the current Commonweal Commissioner and head of the commission. It is the largest commission by employees and programs overseen as well as the one most Ventorans are directly affected by. The commission's head offices are in the People's Quadrangle (Cuadrilátero del Pueblo), a large complex built in the fundadismo style. It is located in the government quarter of Plenas, the.

History
With the rise of urbanization and its attendant effects on, King Baltasor commissioned Emilio Meléndez, Baron of Vela and a physician, as Health Commissioner on October 25, 1837. Meléndez instituted programs to provide for vaccinations against the diseases of the time. Subsequent commissioners worked to improve sanitation and provide safe water supplies in urban areas.

The First World War created shortages of workers and a need to focus the labor supply on important industries. To address this concern, King Florián I created the Labor Commission on July 5, 1906. Pascual Salcedo Sarim, Count of Tuguso, was the first Labor Commissioner. As the war progressed, the need to ensure adequate housing for military personnel mustering out of service began to affect society. Florián decided to combine the Health and Labor Commissions with a coordinated mission to look after the complete well-being of all citizens. He created the Commonweal Commission on March 3, 1912.

In 1918, the commission took on oversight of the educational system in Ventora. Safeguarding and promoting Ventoran culture, including encouraging sport, was added to the commission's responsibilities in 1977.

Structure
The Commission is organized as follows:
 * Secretariat&mdash;offices of the Commissioner and senior commission officials
 * Board of Health (Junta de Salud)
 * Labor Council (Consejo Laboral)
 * Defense Councillor
 * Public Works Councillor
 * Veteran Councillor
 * Information Office (Minister Prolocutor)
 * Directorate General for Health (Dirección General de Salud, DGS)
 * Directorate for Healthcare (Dirección de Atención Médica, DAM)
 * Bureau for Standards of Care
 * Bureau for Facilities Accreditation
 * Bureau for Professional Standards
 * Health Ombudsman Office (Minister Defensor)
 * Directorate for Public Health (Dirección de Salud Publica, DSP)
 * Bureau for Preventive Healthcare
 * Bureau for Epidemiology
 * Bureau for Health Research
 * Directorate General for Knowledge and Culture (Dirección General de Conocimiento y Cultura, DGCC)
 * Directorate for Education (Dirección de Educación, DdE)
 * Bureau for Schooling
 * Bureau for Crafts and Skills
 * Bureau for Universities
 * Education Ombudsman Office (Minister Defensor)
 * Directorate for Culture (Dirección de Cultura, DdC)
 * Bureau for Cultural Institutes
 * Institute for the Arts
 * Institute for Music
 * Division for Sport
 * Division for Traditions
 * Division for Museums and Arts Centers
 * Bureau for Historical Institutes
 * Institute for Anthropology
 * Institute for Archeology
 * Institute for History
 * Bureau for Libraries
 * Directorate General for Labor (Dirección General de Labor, DGL)
 * Directorate for Occupational Standards
 * Bureau for Occupational Registration
 * Bureau for Occupational Training
 * Directorate for Workplace Conditions
 * Bureau for Workplace Relations
 * Bureau for Workplace Safety
 * Laborers' Ombudsman (Minister Defensor)
 * Directorate General for Well-being (Dirección General de Bienestar)
 * Directorate for Pensions (Dirección de Pensiones, DdP)
 * Bureau for Pension Standards
 * Bureau for Public Pensions
 * Bureau for Disability Pensions
 * Bureau for Unemployed Pensions
 * Bureau for Old-age Pensions
 * Directorate of Social Security (Dirección de Seguridad Social, DSS)
 * Bureau for Housing
 * Bureau for Subsistence
 * Bureau for Exigencies
 * Well-being Ombudsman (Minister Defensor)

Agencies

 * Cultural Endowment Trust (Fideicomiso de Dotación Cultural, FDC) &mdash;State trust to accept donations and contributions for the funding of cultural, sport, and historical advancement, provision, and preservation
 * Health Records Service (Servicio de Registros Médicos, SRM) &mdash;independent national health records service
 * Trust Oversight Agency (Agencia de Vigilancia Fiduciaria, AVF) &mdash;registration and oversight of healthcare, pension, and well-being trusts
 * Workplace Support Service (Servicio de Soporte de Lugar de Trabajo, SSLT) &mdash;workplace safety, ergonomics, and conditions consulting services

Related independent agencies
The following independent agencies are not part of the Commonweal Commission but have tasks associated with the responsibilities of the commission.
 * Health Investigative Service (Servicio de Investigación Salud, SIS) &mdash;impartial investigation of health-related matters, including disease tracing and regulatory non-compliance
 * Medical Inquiry Board (Junta de Consulta Médica, JCM) &mdash;impartial investigation of allegations pertaining to medical malpractice, medical errors, sub-standard medical care, and medical facility non-compliance
 * Safety Inquiry Board (Junta de Investigación de Seguridad, JIS) &mdash;impartial investigation of work-related safety incidents and fatalities
 * Trust Inquiry Board (Junta de Consulta de Fideicomiso, JCF) &mdash;impartial investigation into concerns regarding operation, integrity, and funds management and disbursement for healthcare and pensions trusts
 * Well-being Inquiry Board (Junta de Consulta de Bienestar, JCB) &mdash;impartial investigation into access to basic well-being services, including housing and subsistence assistance

Programs
Duchies of Ventora provide or administer most social well-being programs in the country. Private trusts manage the funding for most of the programs through employer contributions, worker subscriptions, and taxpayer allocations. The Commonweal Commission sets minimum standards and ensures compliance with the standards and applicable laws concerning the various programs.

Trust oversight
A key commission task is the registration and oversight of the numerous trusts that receive, manage, and disburse the monies which pay for the various well-being programs, including healthcare and pensions. The trusts are predominantly private and usually non-profit, although a few for=profit trusts exist. Funding for the trusts comes from employer contributions and worker subscriptions for the most part. Excise taxes for certain products, such as alcohol, tobacco, and excess calories, is distributed to healthcare trusts on a per capita basis and some general taxation augments some pension and well-being trusts.

Some trusts specialize in a particular field, such as healthcare or old-age pensions. A number of trusts are multi-faceted, covering a number of segments. The trusts have strict accounting and reporting requirements and undergo frequent compliance audits. The Fiscal Watchmen Corps investigates improprieties and convictions carry stiff penalties.

Healthcare
Ventorans enjoy universal healthcare which is largely provided by private entities paid for through various healthcare trusts. The scheme focuses on preventive care, which typically carries no out-of-pocket costs. Such services include periodic medical examinations, vaccinations, pre-natal, and well-baby care. Most people receive basic medical care at their local polyclinic provided by their primary healthcare provider. A typical polyclinic includes shared diagnostic and laboratory services, urgent care facilities, and a pharmacy (farmacia) for dispensing medications and medical equipment. Specialist clinics and hospitals provide higher levels of medical care. There are typical co-pays due for illness and injury, with higher charges in cases of preventable conditions in order to encourage healthy lifestyles.

Elective surgeries may or may not be included in covered healthcare. This depends on the procedure, as some are covered universally, and the healthcare trust, which may optionally include some other procedures, usually in exchanged for increased subscription costs. So-called cosmetic procedures are not required to be covered and most healthcare trust schemes do not. A number of private insurances can be purchased to provide some measure of coverage for procedures, especially those not scheduled by healthcare trusts. Private insurance can also offset co-pays for costs not paid by the healthcare trust.

Healthcare facilities and providers must register with and meet standards set by the commission. A robust public health program works to reduce healthcare costs through disease prvention and top-notch sanitation. Public health is also served by a quality health and medical research strategy.

Pensions
Social insurance is the basis of many pension schemes due to their reliance on employer and worker contributions. These include old-age, sickness, care leave, unemployment, and occupational welfare (workplace injury or illness) pensions. The share between employer and worker varies by type of pension and trust scheme. Higher contributory trusts typically offer enhanced benefits.

A disability pension may be paid to persons with long-term or permanent disability after sickness pension benefits are exhausted. Costs for such pensions come from the various pension trusts and general taxation.

Social assistance
Disadvantaged persons and families may be eligible for certain social assistance programs paid for through the general taxation scheme. Eligibility is based on inadequate income or needs in excess of contributory pensions. Assistance may be available for housing, subsistence (food), dependents (children under age 18 or parents over age 80), and caregiver expenses. Social assistance is available only to citizens, permanent residents, and certain other persons with special circumstances.

Education and culture
Attendance at school is mandatory through age 15. Schools, whether public or private, must adhere to minimum curriculae established by the commission. Public schools are locally administered with each duchy determining the funding mechanism to permit attendance at no out-of-pocket charges. Private schools may charge tuition at whatever level they wish but must allow attendance to anyone who can pay without regard to social status, gender, or ethnicity.

The commission sees to the promotion of culture, including libraries, the arts, and sport, as well as the preservation of history. Duchies and localities bear much of the funding for these institutions. The commission facilitates the Cultural Endowment Trust which contributes to programs and facilities across the country through competitive grants, however.

Labor
Occupational skill and worker well-being have some basis in laws and regulations administered by the commission. Worker qualification standards for certain occupations have a long-standing purpose in ensuring uniformity across the country which benefits the economy as a whole. Qualified and properly skilled workers lead to safer and higher quality work. At the same time, employers have a responsibility to provide appropriately safe workplaces for their laborers. Fewer workplace injuries and illnesses serve to reduce strain on both the healthcare system and the pensions and assistance schemes with the added benefit of improved quality of life.