According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,554.23% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $33,369,169,093.55 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.80% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $600,788,188 in the year 1940 would cost $33,969,957,281.55 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% 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 $600,788,188 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 | $600,788,188.00 | -0.08% |
| 1941 | $604,174,272.80 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $620,137,243.97 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $649,644,554.33 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $668,993,610.31 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $687,858,939.88 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $720,268,608.64 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $786,055,398.95 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $834,428,038.89 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $861,516,717.25 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $877,479,688.43 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $919,080,158.78 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $969,387,704.31 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $1,003,732,278.66 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $1,034,690,768.22 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $1,058,877,088.19 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,097,575,200.14 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,142,561,755.28 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,197,222,838.41 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $1,247,530,383.94 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $1,291,549,486.28 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $1,330,731,324.63 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $1,366,043,351.78 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,398,453,020.54 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $1,426,992,878.10 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,461,821,178.85 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,526,640,516.37 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $1,634,027,777.02 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $1,733,191,688.89 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $1,853,155,835.93 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $1,970,701,350.98 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $2,098,405,120.41 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $2,166,126,816.32 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,249,811,483.40 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $2,459,265,014.33 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $2,755,789,297.13 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $3,017,969,005.58 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $3,306,269,939.60 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $3,585,380,072.03 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $3,917,216,381.98 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $4,346,281,698.21 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $4,813,561,399.99 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $5,372,265,391.25 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $5,839,061,366.62 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $6,202,823,618.94 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $6,589,321,012.03 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $7,084,173,118.57 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $7,554,355,178.74 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $8,047,756,106.08 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $8,663,539,812.46 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $9,450,078,937.82 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $10,275,316,175.12 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $11,032,831,716.51 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $11,691,183,346.03 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $12,248,919,884.49 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $12,797,465,621.36 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $13,247,814,899.16 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $13,616,898,141.87 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $14,055,154,259.68 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $14,545,652,828.63 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $15,135,799,035.85 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $15,832,848,777.32 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $16,578,271,158.72 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $17,244,362,410.64 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $18,002,361,678.43 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $18,762,295,851.82 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $19,514,490,402.81 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $20,377,666,301.62 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $21,132,932,515.25 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $21,803,285,396.74 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $22,547,590,370.17 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $23,233,814,314.82 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $24,085,158,265.90 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $24,677,853,711.24 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $25,267,482,331.20 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $25,932,693,201.07 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $26,915,001,237.50 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $27,591,086,276.83 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $28,135,868,622.31 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $28,931,482,454.92 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $30,119,253,279.48 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $30,490,808,364.09 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $31,725,882,793.24 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $31,872,790,500.73 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $32,729,373,208.71 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $33,661,204,395.37 | 2.85% |
| 2026 | $33,969,957,281.55 | 0.92%* |
* 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 | 579.894 | 585.213 |