According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $8,985,618,967.18 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.85% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $164,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $9,149,618,967.18 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1940-2025 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 $164,000,000 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 | $164,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $164,949,806.95 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $170,015,444.02 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $178,247,104.25 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $183,312,741.31 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $188,378,378.38 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $198,826,254.83 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $214,315,414.32 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $227,588,357.59 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $234,894,564.89 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $239,278,289.28 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $250,724,680.72 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $264,362,934.36 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $273,739,233.74 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $282,141,372.14 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $288,716,958.72 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $299,310,959.31 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $311,609,741.61 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $326,465,696.47 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $340,225,720.23 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $352,280,962.28 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $362,874,962.87 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $372,494,802.49 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $381,384,021.38 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $389,177,309.18 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $398,675,378.68 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $416,332,046.33 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $445,678,645.68 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $472,711,612.71 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $505,346,005.35 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $537,493,317.49 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $572,197,802.20 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $590,706,860.71 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $613,599,643.60 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $670,709,830.71 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $751,565,191.57 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $823,044,253.04 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $901,707,751.71 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $977,814,077.81 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,068,289,278.29 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $1,185,310,365.31 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,312,681,912.68 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $1,465,016,335.02 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $1,592,387,882.39 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $1,691,508,761.51 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $1,796,961,686.96 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $1,931,882,981.88 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $2,060,106,920.11 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $2,194,662,904.66 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $2,362,705,672.71 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $2,577,142,857.14 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $2,802,174,042.17 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $3,008,817,938.82 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $3,188,307,098.31 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $3,340,397,980.40 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $3,490,053,460.05 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $3,612,797,742.80 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $3,713,501,633.50 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $3,832,958,122.96 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $3,966,783,486.78 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $4,127,763,587.76 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $4,317,846,747.85 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $4,521,081,081.08 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $4,702,762,102.76 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $4,909,405,999.41 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $5,116,658,746.66 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $5,321,841,401.84 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $5,557,219,394.12 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $5,763,188,684.29 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $5,946,000,950.40 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $6,148,982,001.78 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $6,336,123,195.72 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $6,568,293,762.99 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $6,729,927,769.53 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $6,890,726,433.03 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $7,072,137,125.04 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $7,340,024,086.72 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $7,524,399,881.20 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $7,672,967,953.67 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $7,889,940,392.04 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $8,213,859,875.26 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $8,315,186,011.29 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $8,652,005,821.21 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $8,692,068,191.27 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $8,925,668,339.77 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $9,149,618,967.18 | 2.51%* |
* 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 |
| CPI | 10.200 | 10.200 | 10.300 | 10.300 | 10.360 | 10.360 | 10.420 | 10.740 | 11.260 | 11.580 | 11.900 | 12.560 | 13.538 | 14.377 | 14.838 | 15.115 | 15.838 | 16.700 | 17.292 | 17.823 | 18.238 | 18.908 | 19.685 | 20.623 | 21.492 | 22.254 | 22.923 | 23.531 | 24.092 | 24.585 | 25.185 | 26.300 | 28.154 | 29.862 | 31.923 | 33.954 | 36.146 | 37.315 | 38.762 | 42.369 | 47.477 | 51.992 | 56.962 | 61.769 | 67.485 | 74.877 | 82.923 | 92.546 | 100.592 | 106.854 | 113.515 | 122.038 | 130.138 | 138.638 | 149.254 | 162.800 | 177.015 | 190.069 | 201.408 | 211.015 | 220.469 | 228.223 | 234.585 | 242.131 | 250.585 | 260.754 | 272.762 | 285.600 | 297.077 | 310.131 | 323.223 | 336.185 | 351.054 | 364.065 | 375.613 | 388.436 | 400.258 | 414.924 | 425.134 | 435.292 | 446.752 | 463.675 | 475.322 | 484.707 | 498.413 | 518.876 | 525.276 | 546.554 | 549.084 | 563.841 | 577.988 |