COST OF CANADA'S PUBLIC HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

• 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 2019, the estimated average payment for public health care insurance ranges from $4,544 to $13,311 for six common Canadian family types, depending on the type of family.
• Between 1997 and 2019, the cost of public health care insurance for the average Canadian family increased 3.2 times as fast as the cost of food, 2.1 times as fast as the cost of clothing, 1.8 times as fast as the cost of shelter, and 1.7 times faster than average income.