For us in Ontario, we generally have to know the client’s name, address and phone number, and for financial transactions we have to get copies of a couple of pieces of ID, with LSUC recommending passport, driver’s licence or OHIP card, but not prohibiting the collection of other forms of ID.
It is the banks that refuse to accept OHIP cards on mortgage transactions. I don’t know why OHIP is singled out, for banks do accept hospital cards from some other provinces. If anyone happens to have a link to an explanation of the banks’ policies, or to specific government legislation on this, please post it, for it’s one of those oddities that I have wanted an answer to, but have never bothered to dig into.
About five years ago, my dad, a US citizen of age 84, was driving from the US, crossing into Canada in or around Calgary(by my memory), driving ultimately to Alaska. Somewhere near Yellowknife, Yukon Terr., he ran off the road(we’ll never know if he had medical problem or was avoiding a moose). He crashed down an embankment, was found a few hours later, ruptured spleen, blood loss, taken to local hospital, treated very well, where they decided to life flight him to the US(Wash. State?). He made it half way, but just didn’t have the strength at that age and with severe injuries to make it, dying on the way.
The interesting thing was my mom was billed by Medicare(US) for something like $25,000 for the life flight. My dad had no private insurance to cover out of country medical. Fortunately, my Mom’s a sharp old bird, and told them to go pound sand, as he was on his way to Alaska, and crossing into Canada was exempt, as he was only going through on his way to another part of the US. Medicare never got the money.