A man filed a complaint against a hospital that billed for services ahead of time without knowing whether they would really be delivered.
This is what happened when his mother, who was visiting Québec, ended up at the emergency room. She was billed $200 in advance for care and services that were not yet planned. The institution intended to reimburse her for the unreceived care or services if need be.
This practice is unacceptable because its contravenes Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux directives.
At our urging, the hospital ceased this practice.
To learn more about this real-life case, see our 2021-2022 Annual Report.
The Protecteur du citoyen ensures that your rights are upheld in your dealings with Québec public services. Are you dissatisfied with the services of a Government of Québec department or agency? Or with those of a health and social services network institution (2nd level of recourse)? File a complaint by calling 1-800-463-5070 or using our online complaint form.
