According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,613.83% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $354,889,452,292.77 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 $6,321,703,715 in the year 1940 would cost $361,211,156,007.77 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 $6,321,703,715 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 | $6,321,703,715.00 | -0.08% |
| 1941 | $6,357,333,285.05 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $6,525,301,258.16 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $6,835,787,511.47 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $7,039,385,054.63 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $7,237,892,659.20 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $7,578,918,543.99 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $8,271,150,190.72 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $8,780,144,048.61 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $9,065,180,609.03 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $9,233,148,582.13 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $9,670,883,299.92 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $10,200,236,912.13 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $10,561,622,551.23 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $10,887,378,620.28 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $11,141,875,549.22 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $11,549,070,635.54 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $12,022,434,923.37 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $12,597,597,982.79 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $13,126,951,595.00 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $13,590,136,005.68 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $14,002,421,030.57 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $14,373,986,546.83 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $14,715,012,431.61 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $15,015,318,807.77 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $15,381,794,385.45 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $16,063,846,155.02 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $17,193,812,519.54 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $18,237,249,928.22 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $19,499,554,695.79 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $20,736,409,770.46 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $22,080,153,555.29 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $22,792,744,956.34 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $23,673,304,330.49 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $25,877,247,735.15 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $28,997,380,084.02 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $31,756,126,793.79 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $34,789,730,186.82 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $37,726,624,746.84 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $41,218,322,611.97 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $45,733,098,131.46 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $50,649,978,798.68 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $56,528,857,857.32 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $61,440,648,585.96 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $65,268,282,397.30 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $69,335,143,321.84 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $74,542,150,488.06 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $79,489,570,786.76 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $84,681,308,137.24 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $91,160,799,948.19 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $99,437,040,077.49 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $108,120,475,293.10 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $116,091,319,107.67 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $123,018,725,513.55 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $128,887,424,695.03 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $134,659,415,043.51 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $139,398,147,860.47 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $143,281,770,996.18 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $147,893,255,348.66 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $153,054,453,067.67 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $159,264,178,133.94 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $166,598,779,626.14 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $174,442,374,976.23 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $181,451,220,399.38 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $189,427,154,152.53 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $197,423,447,659.99 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $205,338,302,150.19 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $214,420,941,248.54 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $222,368,116,848.71 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $229,421,804,630.75 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $237,253,642,222.72 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $244,474,330,889.53 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $253,432,470,090.24 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $259,669,019,132.82 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $265,873,297,964.80 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $272,872,879,699.74 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $283,209,068,871.31 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $290,323,072,425.50 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $296,055,463,051.84 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $304,427,190,428.88 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $316,925,331,011.83 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $320,834,963,733.68 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $333,830,849,410.27 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $335,376,663,756.68 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $344,389,926,992.20 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $354,564,001,620.03 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $361,211,156,007.77 | 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 |