Medical care services priced at $20,000 in 1950 $806,550.44 in 2018

Medical Care Services Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Medical Care Services, 1950-2018 ($20,000)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care services were 3,932.75% higher in 2018 versus 1950 (a $786,550.44 difference in value).

Between 1950 and 2018: Medical care services experienced an average inflation rate of 5.59% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care services costing $20,000 in the year 1950 would cost $806,550.44 in 2018 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.51% during this same period, inflation for medical care services was higher.

In the year 1950: Pricing changed by 2.39%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care services during the 1950-2018 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.10%), inflation for medical care services was higher.

Price Inflation for Medical care services since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1975 (12.60%), 1982 (11.86%), and 1980 (11.28%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20,000.00 since 1950

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care services, over time, for $20,000 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1950$20,000.002.39%
1951$20,996.884.98%
1952$22,367.606.53%
1953$23,115.263.34%
1954$23,800.622.96%
1955$24,548.293.14%
1956$25,413.373.52%
1957$26,503.714.29%
1958$27,821.714.97%
1959$29,163.674.82%
1960$30,361.854.11%
1961$31,476.163.67%
1962$32,518.573.31%
1963$33,477.112.95%
1964$34,291.882.43%
1965$35,358.263.11%
1966$37,263.365.39%
1967$40,510.428.71%
1968$43,493.897.36%
1969$47,004.558.07%
1970$50,347.477.11%
1971$54,013.907.28%
1972$55,978.913.64%
1973$58,471.124.45%
1974$64,450.0410.23%
1975$72,573.6912.60%
1976$79,846.6310.02%
1977$87,778.589.93%
1978$95,375.038.65%
1979$104,648.939.72%
1980$116,450.9911.28%
1981$128,936.0210.72%
1982$144,224.7811.86%
1983$156,817.648.73%
1984$166,247.306.01%
1985$176,288.046.04%
1986$189,887.377.71%
1987$202,420.326.60%
1988$215,480.476.45%
1989$231,919.487.63%
1990$253,390.859.26%
1991$275,832.738.86%
1992$296,764.927.59%
1993$316,067.586.50%
1994$332,422.725.17%
1995$349,197.225.05%
1996$362,005.753.67%
1997$372,393.962.87%
1998$384,423.683.23%
1999$397,292.123.35%
2000$414,354.184.29%
2001$434,208.004.79%
2002$456,206.575.07%
2003$476,587.594.47%
2004$500,515.225.02%
2005$524,418.884.78%
2006$546,129.884.14%
2007$575,236.885.33%
2008$599,599.454.24%
2009$618,846.033.21%
2010$640,510.663.50%
2011$660,140.793.06%
2012$685,889.893.90%
2013$707,175.773.10%
2014$723,984.182.38%
2015$741,699.742.45%
2016$770,663.193.91%
2017$789,414.812.43%
2018$806,550.442.17%
2019$835,112.513.54%
2020$876,401.394.94%
2021$892,673.141.86%
2022$931,011.984.29%
2023$927,782.53-0.35%
2024$942,693.931.61%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Medical care services:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI8.2758.3178.4008.4008.4808.5008.5208.7609.2409.6209.88010.48011.38012.14012.54012.84013.48014.36014.84015.28015.76016.31517.01517.86218.72319.49220.20820.87721.49222.01522.70023.92326.00827.92330.17732.32334.67735.93837.53841.37746.59251.26256.35461.23167.18574.76282.77792.592100.677106.731113.177121.908129.954138.338148.892162.677177.085190.523202.915213.415224.185232.408239.077246.800255.062266.015278.762292.885305.969321.331336.677350.615369.302384.943397.299411.208423.810440.341454.007464.798476.171494.766506.804517.805536.142562.650573.096597.710595.636605.209

Adjust medical care services prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2018 / CPI in 1950 * 1950 USD value = 2018 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Medical care services was 12.840 in the year 1950 and 517.805 in 2018:

517.805 / 12.840 * $20,000 = $806,550.44

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20,000 in 1950 has the same "purchasing power" as $806,550.44 in 2018 (in the CPI category of Medical care services).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Medical care services in 1935. In addition to medical care services, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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