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The Québec Ombudsman's Info-nuggets
Two short articles a month are posted here on different aspects of the Québec Ombudsman, such as its role, how it can help you, recent interventions, the rights of citizens in their dealings with public services, and answers to your questions.
Deeply uneasy...
A simple matter of modesty…An elderly lady who was hospitalized objected to having a male orderly help her with her intimate daily care.
The watch is on for a gold watch
What’s the connection between the Québec Ombudsman and a gold watch that went missing at a hospital?
Dental surgery: The bill is cancelled…
Generally speaking, dental work is not covered by RAMQ. But, as we know, there are often exceptions to the rule…
With or without gloves?
A worker applied to the CSST for an income replacement indemnity. Four months later…, nothing!
Excellent news for you!
Recently the Québec Ombudsman had the pleasure of telling a road accident victim that the SAAQ owed him more than $25,000.
A hot-button item: Corruption and public contracts
Recently, the Québec Ombudsman turned its attention to integrity in the awarding of public contracts.
Who’s at fault?
A public service makes a mistake that’s not your fault, that you couldn’t have suspected and... that you foot the bill for! What do you do?
A will? What for?
Is it legit to require a will when someone applies for last-resort financial assistance?
Illegal daycare operations: Is recess over?
One child care service has too many children, and another operates under the table. What next? The Québec Ombudsman investigates.
Thank you for following up…
The Québec Ombudsman conducts investigations. But what are its powers?
As far away as Nunavik…
Kuujjuarpik and Montréal are some 1,800 kilometres apart. A significant fact when you consider the report received by the Québec Ombudsman.
Is the SAAQ too strict?
Complaints received by the Québec Ombudsman made the SAAQ aware that sometimes its administrative requirements go too far.
Special Attention to Seniors
To unclog its emergency services, a hospital penalizes other and especially vulnerable users.
Fully confidential
The Québec Ombudsman is formally committed to ensuring that any complaint it receives is kept fully confidential. This sounds good, but what does it really mean?
The Age of Web Accessibility
In the age of web accessibility, the Québec Ombudsman’s website is now more user-friendly than ever for people with disabilities.
Resources for men in distress: how far have we come?
How far have we come with providing assistance for men who are going through crisis?
The Ping-pong Effect
When dealing with more than one public service at a time, you may find yourself directed to someone who then redirects you back to where you came from.
Family portrait: the Régie des rentes wants an accurate picture
A father learns that he must reimburse the Régie des rentes for overpayment of child assistance benefits. What happened?
A subsidy: Now you see it, now you don’t!
A man complained to the Québec on behalf of his elderly mother. He says that the CSSS didn’t keep its word.
Access: The operative word
The complaints that the Québec Ombudsman receives concerning access to home support services is clearly on the rise.
The Québec Ombudsman provides independent recourse. What does that mean ?
The Québec Ombudsman provides independent recourse. What does that mean? First of all, there’s the name of the organization: Protecteur du citoyen. In French, it literally means "citizens’ protector." Does this imply that it...
Anything to Declare?
If you are dealing with a Québec government ministry or agency, it may be helpful to start by reading its Declaration of Services to the Public.
The Québec Ombudsman in a Few Figures
Numbers may not tell the whole story, but they do provide a quick overview of the Québec Ombudsman’s activities.
Odd Indeed!
A few months ago, a building manager brought a strange situation at Régie de logement to the Québec Ombudsman’s attention.
In Writing Please
Waiting for a CARRA, Revenu Québec, or CSST decision on money owed you? Make sure you get an answer in writing.
A Cracking Good Read!
The Québec Ombudsman’s Annual Report has just been released. What’s in it for you?
Better Housing Conditions for Seniors
Better housing conditions for seniors: the Québec Ombudsman speaks out on the certification of seniors’ residences.
Tales of Dollars and Sense
People regularly recover large sums of money thanks to the Québec Ombudsman’s work with public institutions.
Warning: Allergen in Hiding…
The Québec Ombudsman pointed out to MAPAQ that it had failed in its duty to inform consumers.
Loto-Québec, Online Gambling, and the Québec Ombudsman
Online gambling is an insidious but very real threat to potential problem gamblers.
Does This Apply to You?
Revenu Québec can’t tax the same income twice. Tax authorities needed a reminder of this from the Québec Ombudsman.
Green File
An area protected for its natural riches remained open to oil and gas exploration. Was this normal?
Humanitarian Grounds
Poverty: Sometimes the Québec Ombudsman asks a ministry to make an exception for an extreme case.
International Adoption: Supporting Parents Better
International adoption applicants often feel like they are navigating a maze, with surprises at every turn. The Québec Ombudsman investigated.
More and More Clicks!
Public services are offering more and more electronic transaction options to users. But is there a downside?
Studying Abroad?
The Québec Ombudsman took action over the loans and scholarships of a Québec student studying at an American institution.
Health Insurance: Covered or Not
With new fees being charged to patients for previously covered services, it can be a challenge to know what’s what!
End-of-Life Palliative Care: Support and Sensitivity
End-of-life palliative care is a regular cause of complaints to the Québec Ombudsman
Complaints from citizens with disabilities
The majority of complaints received by the Québec Ombudsman from people with disabilities are related to health and social services. Most of the time, the complainants are dissatisfied with: certain residential resources;the...
Your call is important!
Is it unreasonable to expect that the hold time for a phone call to a public service shouldn’t be longer than one minute?
What services should detainees with a mental health problem receive?
The Québec Ombudsman is also Québec’s correctional ombudsman
Heritage and renovation: What’s the logic behind the rules?
A person living in a historic district wanted to do some construction work. What an undertaking!
The Québec Ombudsman intervenes on the question of the gradual erosion of free healthcare services
"I am worried about the gradual erosion of the basket of publicly insured services," said the Ombudsperson at the public hearings on Bill 27.
The Québec Ombudsman can help companies as well
In the following examples, a company and a municipality contested decisions by Revenu Québec (recently renamed “Agence du revenu du Québec”).
The Québec Ombudsman handles complaints about the Agence du revenu du Québec
On April 1, 2011, Revenu Québec became the Agence du revenu du Québec.
The Québec Ombudsman investigates ambulance fees
The Québec Ombudsman investigates ambulance fees
Results of Québec Ombudsman investigations available online
Read about “real cases.” New accounts of complaints are posted on the website every Monday.
The Québec Ombudsman investigates wait times
One third of the complaints the Québec Ombudsman processes involving government departments and agencies have to do with wait times. Here are some examples.
Health and social services: You can file a complaint on behalf of someone else
Users themselves can file a complaint with the Québec Ombudsman about the health and social services they receive – or don’t receive – or, in certain cases, they can have someone else file the complaint on their behalf. That...
Raymonde Saint-Germain is the Ombudsperson
Raymonde Saint-Germain, a former career civil servant, has been the go-between for citizens and the government for the last five years.
Have you seen a disturbing situation? Report it.
You visit a person in a nursing home and it’s clear that she’s being neglected by the staff.
Have you had a bad experience with a health institution?
If your complaint concerns the health and social services network, the Québec Ombudsman will intervene as a second recourse. But what does that mean?
Make sure you’ve come to the right place
Do you want to file a complaint with the Québec Ombudsman? First make sure that you’re where you should be for your particular problem.
What if it were you?
There are various reasons why you might file a complaint with the Québec Ombudsman. Here are a few.
Can the Québec Ombudsman help you?
Having trouble dealing with a Québec government department or agency or a health and social services institution?
© Le Protecteur du citoyen 1999-2011