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 2020, preliminary estimates suggest the average payment for public health care insurance ranges from $4,190 to $14,474 for six common Canadian family types, depending on the type of family.
• The 10 percent of Canadian families with the lowest incomes will pay an average of about $471 for public health care insurance in 2020. The 10 percent of Canadian families who earn an average income of $65,522 will pay an average of $6,627 for public health care insurance, and the families among the top 10 percent of income earners in Canada will pay $39,731.