According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,613.83% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $8,167,044,940.29 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.82% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $145,480,904 in the year 1940 would cost $8,312,525,844.29 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.08%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1940-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for medical care was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $145,480,904 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $145,480,904.00 | -0.08% |
| 1941 | $146,300,844.68 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $150,166,279.33 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $157,311,476.71 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $161,996,852.04 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $166,565,092.99 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $174,413,096.66 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $190,343,372.79 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $202,056,811.11 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $208,616,336.57 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $212,481,771.22 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $222,555,328.18 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $234,737,304.04 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $243,053,845.25 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $250,550,445.78 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $256,407,164.94 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $265,777,915.60 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $276,671,413.24 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $289,907,598.55 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $302,089,574.41 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $312,748,803.29 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $322,236,688.33 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $330,787,498.31 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $338,635,501.98 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $345,546,430.60 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $353,980,106.19 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $369,676,113.55 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $395,679,946.63 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $419,692,495.19 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $448,741,822.24 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $477,205,477.37 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $508,128,954.55 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $524,527,768.21 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $544,792,016.51 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $595,511,204.46 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $667,314,581.39 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $730,801,417.11 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $800,613,509.53 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $868,200,048.67 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $948,554,235.58 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $1,052,452,433.53 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,165,604,247.75 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $1,300,894,460.41 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $1,413,929,140.24 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $1,502,014,196.45 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $1,595,604,568.67 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $1,715,433,042.74 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $1,829,287,663.26 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $1,948,764,734.18 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $2,097,876,804.06 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $2,288,337,311.23 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $2,488,168,569.06 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $2,671,601,013.23 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $2,831,020,908.84 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $2,966,076,852.73 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $3,098,907,243.34 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $3,207,959,354.14 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $3,297,332,888.57 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $3,403,456,639.79 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $3,522,230,904.41 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $3,665,134,851.98 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $3,833,925,498.25 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $4,014,429,582.84 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $4,175,723,628.58 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $4,359,273,207.14 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $4,543,291,323.23 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $4,725,435,289.19 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $4,934,453,396.69 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $5,117,341,165.98 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $5,279,667,165.64 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $5,459,900,669.81 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $5,626,069,848.58 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $5,832,222,849.07 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $5,975,744,094.84 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $6,118,522,708.62 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $6,279,603,569.78 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $6,517,469,533.19 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $6,681,183,575.29 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $6,813,102,660.40 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $7,005,760,608.60 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $7,293,379,401.30 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $7,383,351,492.42 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $7,682,424,856.46 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $7,717,998,568.65 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $7,925,420,134.52 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $8,159,555,367.83 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $8,312,525,844.29 | 1.87%* |
* 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:
| Year | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 10.200 | 10.200 | 10.283 | 10.300 | 10.358 | 10.350 | 10.408 | 10.683 | 11.192 | 11.525 | 11.850 | 12.408 | 13.542 | 14.375 | 14.842 | 15.117 | 15.833 | 16.700 | 17.292 | 17.825 | 18.242 | 18.908 | 19.683 | 20.625 | 21.492 | 22.250 | 22.925 | 23.533 | 24.092 | 24.583 | 25.183 | 26.300 | 28.150 | 29.858 | 31.925 | 33.950 | 36.150 | 37.317 | 38.758 | 42.367 | 47.475 | 51.992 | 56.958 | 61.767 | 67.483 | 74.875 | 82.925 | 92.550 | 100.592 | 106.858 | 113.517 | 122.042 | 130.142 | 138.642 | 149.250 | 162.800 | 177.017 | 190.067 | 201.408 | 211.017 | 220.467 | 228.225 | 234.583 | 242.133 | 250.583 | 260.750 | 272.758 | 285.600 | 297.075 | 310.133 | 323.225 | 336.183 | 351.054 | 364.065 | 375.613 | 388.436 | 400.257 | 414.924 | 425.134 | 435.292 | 446.752 | 463.675 | 475.322 | 484.707 | 498.413 | 518.875 | 525.276 | 546.553 | 549.084 | 563.841 | 580.498 | 591.381 |