Spending
Health care dollars are almost always in short supply, and in tough economic times they are increasingly scarce. But whatever the climate, stakeholders and taxpayers want to know that these dollars are being well spent.
We believe our leaders are responsible for making the best use of funds to provide Canadians with the best care. That’s why we maintain several databases that track and report health care spending, such as the National Health Expenditure Database (NHEX). This practice provides an accurate, up-to-date assessment of country-wide spending.
Our analysis of Canadian health care spending is divided into two categories:
- By geography: Includes national, provincial and regional spending
- By category: Includes physician, hospital and drug spending
Key reports and analyses
Drug Expenditure in Canada, 1985 to 2012 (Apr. 2013)
Trends in drug spending, primarily from retail establishments. Provincial and territorial comparisons are included.
National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975 to 2012 (Oct. 2012)
This annual report provides an overview of health care spending trends from 1975 to 2010, as well as forecasts for 2011 and 2012.
Media
Multimedia
Video: Health Care Cost Drivers: The Facts.
Slide presentations:
- Health Care Cost Drivers: The Facts. (Nov. 2011)
- Macro-Economic Trends (Jan. 2011) (PPTX, 4,949 KB)
- Hospital Cost Drivers (Apr. 2011) (PPTX, 4,864 KB)
- Hospital and Other Health Expenditures—Descriptive Overview (Apr. 2011) (PPTX, 4,170 KB)
- Physician Cost Drivers (2011) (PPTX, 4,204 KB)
- Drug Cost Drivers (Nov. 2011) (PPTX, 4,125 KB)
Applications
- Patient Cost Estimator
An interactive tool developed by CIHI to estimate the average cost of various services provided in hospitals. This tool provides information nationally, by jurisdiction and by patient age group.
The cost estimates represent the estimated average cost of services provided to the average patient. They include the costs incurred by the hospital in providing services but exclude physician fees.
Patient Cost Estimator >> - CIHI Portal
A web-based analytical environment gives clients access to enriched, facility-identifiable data from several of our data holdings. Through dynamic content and functionality, CIHI Portal enables decision and planning support by providing the tools for customized comparative reporting.
CIHI Portal integrates four distinct services:
- Powerful business intelligence suite consisting of comparative data and metadata
- Comprehensive role-based education program
- Strong user community providing opportunity for collaboration
- Customized solutions service, which responds to special user needs
CIHI Portal >>
FAQ
- After general inflation and population growth are taken into account, by how much has public-sector health care spending grown?
Health Care Cost Drivers: The Facts. looks at health spending from 1998 to 2008...
- Did you know? Drug spending
Canada's per person spending on prescribed and non-prescribed drugs remains among the highest in the OECD comparator countries
- Did you know that hospitals continue to make up the largest component of Canada's health care spending?
However, their share of total health expenditure has steadily declined. In 2008, hospitals were expected to account for 28.0% ($48.1 billion) of total health care spending, down from 30.7% in 1998 and 44.7% in 1975.
- Did You Know? Physicians
According to OECD Health Data 2008, the average number of physicians per 1,000 people in countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) increased from 2.4 in 1990 to 3.1 in 2006. Over the same period, the ratio in Canada remained steady at 2.1. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and Statistics Canada maintain the Canadian segment of the OECD Health Database, contributing national data on health care spending, health care services and the health status of the population.
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