Table 3:

Estimated health care costs and savings associated with medical assistance in dying in Canada

Cost and savings% of total deaths due to medical assistance in dying (n)
1% (2681), $2% (5361), $3% (8042), $4% (10722), $
Gross savings
Base-case: mean end-of-life costs34 706 11069 412 219104 118 329138 824 438
Palliative care scenario: 40% reduction in end-of-life costs20 823 66641 647 33162 470 99783 294 662
Palliative care scenario: 70% reduction in end-of-life costs10 411 83320 823 66631 235 49941 647 331
Cost of providing medical assistance in dying
Low-cost scenario1 548 4123 096 2464 644 6576 192 491
High-cost scenario3 699 3787 397 37611 096 75414 794 752
Net savings
Base-case — low-cost scenario33 157 69866 315 97499 473 671132 631 947
Base-case — high-cost scenario31 006 73262 014 84393 021 575124 029 686
Palliative 40% reduction in end of life cost — low-cost scenario19 275 25438 551 08557 826 34077 102 171
Palliative 40% reduction in end of life cost — high-cost scenario17 124 28834 249 95551 374 24368 499 910
Palliative 70% reduction in end of life cost — low-cost scenario8 863 42117 727 42026 590 84235 454 840
Palliative 70% reduction in end of life cost — high-cost scenario6 712 45513 426 29020 138 74526 852 579