Summary

• Canadians often misunderstand the true cost of our public health care system. This occurs partly because Canadians do not incur direct expenses for their use of health care, and partly because Canadians cannot readily determine the value of their contribution to public health care insurance.
• In 2018, the estimated average payment for public health care insurance ranges from $4,640 to $12,935 for six common Canadian family types, depending on the type of family.
• Between 1997 and 2018, the cost of public health care insurance for the average Canadian family increased 3.5 times as fast as the cost of food, 2.4 times as fast as the cost of clothing, 2.2 times as fast as the cost of shelter, and 1.8 times faster than average income.
• The 10% of Canadian families with the lowest incomes will pay an average of about $496 for public health care insurance in 2018. The 10% of Canadian families who earn an average income of $66,196 will pay an average of $6,311 for public health care insurance, and the families among the top 10% of income earners in Canada will pay $38,903.