Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for their input, which is extremely useful.
Quebec's current drug insurance plan, a hybrid public-private system, has come up a number of times. Recently, a major coalition representing two million Quebeckers called on Parliament to pass Bill C‑64.
The coalition is made up of all the major unions in Quebec, from the Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux and provincial groups to the Union des consommateurs. In its brief, the coalition states that the current pharmacare program in Quebec has failed to ensure that everyone has reasonable and equitable access to drugs. It also states that the various charges people have to pay for prescription drugs are actually user fees that serve to deter people, causing them to skip doses or go without their medications because they can't afford them. Higher drug costs are putting more strain on private plans, and as a result, workplaces are terminating their insurance plans and workers are losing all their coverage.
Quebec's system is broken, and these organizations are asking us to pass the bill quickly.
Under hybrid systems, many people can't afford to get the drugs they need. When it comes to women having control over their own reproductive health, Dr. Francoeur, what does it mean to have a universal, as opposed to a hybrid, system?