Doctors of the World submits brief to demand health coverage for all women, regardless of their immigration status
Montreal, March 17, 2022 – Doctors of the World and a coalition of organizations are submitting a brief today to ask the Government of Quebec to guarantee coverage under public health insurance and prescription drug plans for all women living in its territory, regardless of their immigration status.
The submission of this brief is part of the continuity of Bill 83, which finally grants access to coverage under public health insurance and prescription drug plans to all children in Quebec, whatever the immigration status of their parents. In 2021, the importance of health coverage for pregnant women was recognized during the detailed study, but the proposal was not retained.
The Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, therefore entrusted the RAMQ with the mandate to continue work on this issue with an interministerial committee in order to produce a report by the end of June 2022. It is in this context that Doctors of the World took the initiative to submit a brief to make several recommendations.
“We commend the political courage of the Minister of Health who, in the midst of a pandemic, took the necessary measures to protect the health of all children in Quebec with the adoption of Bill 83. We are confident that this leadership will continue until the next elections regarding the rights and health of all women,” says Nadja Pollaert, Executive Director of Doctors of the World Canada.
A disproportionate impact on the lives of women and their families
According to an estimate by the SHERPA University Institute, 50,000 people living in Quebec do not have access to health insurance coverage due to their precarious immigration status.
Among these people are pregnant women who cannot receive adequate services and care during their pregnancy, at childbirth, and in the postpartum period. This is also the case for obtaining an abortion or following a miscarriage.
Migrants with precarious status also face immense difficulties in accessing family planning services, services for victims of violence, as well as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBIs) and gynecological cancers.
Since 2011, Doctors of the World has been the only organization in Quebec operating a clinic entirely dedicated to migrants with precarious status who have no health coverage and no means to obtain care.
“Our nurses and social workers witness situations where women lose their baby because they do not have adequate prenatal care; are forced to continue unwanted pregnancies in contexts of extreme precariousness; or women who are victims of violence and are indebted after receiving care; women weakened by a difficult migratory journey,” says Pénélope Boudreault, Director of National Operations and nurse at Doctors of the World.
Women should be able to access these essential sexual and reproductive health services when they are expecting a child, but also in other situations throughout their lives.
Without health insurance coverage, their health is compromised and sometimes even their life or that of their child. This situation can encourage abuse and harassment when they need to consult the healthcare system.
An economic burden and a public health issue
The economic burden imposed on these women increases the financial precariousness of their families and undermines their ability to provide good living conditions for their children. This precariousness has significant consequences on other determinants of health, such as the ability to secure decent housing, food security, or social inclusion.
The need to ensure a continuum of care in sexual and reproductive health is already widely demonstrated. Many OECD countries guarantee access to these services to anyone present on their territory through public health insurance plans.
“In Quebec, this measure would not only be an effective public health tool but also a means to reduce pressure on the healthcare system by easing the workload of care teams and avoiding more complex and costly interventions,” says Dr. David-Martin Milot, President of Doctors of the World Canada and a specialist in public health and preventive medicine.
Ensuring the sexual and reproductive health of all women living in Quebec is a logical continuation of the recommendations of the Laurent report and the launch of the “Ma Grossesse” service, which aim to prevent and provide access to prenatal and perinatal services for families to support the healthy development of all children.
Information:
Mélissa Cabana
Director of Communications and Mobilization
Doctors of the World Canada
Cell: 514 799-8985
melissa.cabana@medecinsdumonde.ca