According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $14,355,074,203.67 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 $262,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $14,617,074,203.67 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 $262,000,000 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 | $262,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $263,517,374.52 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $271,610,038.61 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $284,760,617.76 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $292,853,281.85 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $300,945,945.95 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $317,637,065.64 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $342,381,942.38 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $363,586,278.59 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $375,258,390.26 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $382,261,657.26 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $400,547,965.55 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $422,335,907.34 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $437,315,117.32 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $450,738,045.74 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $461,242,946.24 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $478,167,508.17 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $497,815,562.82 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $521,548,856.55 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $543,531,333.53 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $562,790,317.79 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $579,714,879.71 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $595,083,160.08 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $609,284,229.28 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $621,734,481.73 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $636,908,226.91 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $665,115,830.12 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $711,998,812.00 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $755,185,625.19 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $807,321,057.32 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $858,678,348.68 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $914,120,879.12 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $943,690,228.69 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $980,262,845.26 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $1,071,499,851.50 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $1,200,671,220.67 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,314,863,379.86 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,440,533,115.53 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $1,562,117,612.12 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,706,657,261.66 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $1,893,605,583.61 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $2,097,089,397.09 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $2,340,452,925.45 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $2,543,936,738.94 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,702,288,387.29 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $2,870,755,865.76 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $3,086,300,861.30 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $3,291,146,421.15 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $3,506,107,811.11 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $3,774,566,379.57 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $4,117,142,857.14 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $4,476,643,896.64 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $4,806,770,121.77 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $5,093,514,998.51 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $5,336,489,456.49 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $5,575,573,210.57 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $5,771,664,686.66 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $5,932,545,292.55 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $6,123,384,318.38 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $6,337,178,497.18 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $6,594,354,024.35 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $6,898,023,463.02 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $7,222,702,702.70 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $7,512,949,212.95 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $7,843,075,438.08 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $8,174,174,339.17 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $8,501,966,141.97 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $8,877,996,836.95 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $9,207,045,337.10 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $9,499,099,079.30 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $9,823,373,685.77 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $10,122,343,154.14 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $10,493,249,792.10 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $10,751,469,973.27 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $11,008,355,643.01 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $11,298,170,285.12 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $11,726,136,040.99 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $12,020,687,615.09 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $12,258,034,169.88 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $12,604,660,870.21 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $13,122,141,995.84 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $13,284,016,676.57 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $13,822,106,860.71 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $13,886,108,939.71 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $14,259,299,420.85 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $14,617,074,203.67 | 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 |