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 2013, the estimated average payment for public health care insurance will range from $3,387 to $11,381 for six common Canadian family types, depending on the type of family.
For the average Canadian family, between 2003 and 2013 the cost of public health care insurance increased more than 1.5 times faster than the cost of shelter and clothing, more than twice as fast as food, and nearly 1.5 times faster than average income.
The 10 percent of Canadian families with the lowest incomes will pay an average of about $482 for public health care insurance in 2013. The 10 percent of Canadian families who earn an average income of $56,596 will pay an average of $5,364 for public health care insurance, while those families that are among the top 10 percent of income earners in Canada will pay about $35,309.
