According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,616.69% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $43,866,336,449.28 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 $781,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $44,647,336,449.28 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.74% 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 $781,000,000 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 | $781,000,000.00 | -0.08% |
| 1941 | $785,401,771.34 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $806,152,979.07 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $844,511,272.14 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $869,664,251.21 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $894,188,405.80 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $936,319,645.73 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $1,021,839,774.56 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $1,084,722,222.22 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $1,119,936,392.91 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $1,140,687,600.64 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $1,194,766,505.64 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $1,260,164,251.21 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $1,304,810,789.05 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $1,345,055,555.56 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $1,376,496,779.39 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,426,802,737.52 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,485,283,413.85 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,556,340,579.71 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $1,621,738,325.28 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $1,678,961,352.66 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $1,729,896,135.27 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $1,775,800,322.06 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,817,931,562.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $1,855,032,206.12 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,900,307,568.44 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,984,570,048.31 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $2,124,169,082.13 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $2,253,078,099.84 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $2,409,026,570.05 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $2,561,830,917.87 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $2,727,840,579.71 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $2,815,876,006.44 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,924,662,640.90 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $3,196,943,639.29 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $3,582,413,043.48 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $3,923,235,909.82 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $4,298,015,297.91 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $4,660,847,020.93 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $5,092,220,611.92 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $5,649,987,922.71 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $6,257,432,367.15 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $6,983,724,637.68 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $7,590,540,257.65 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $8,063,416,264.09 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $8,565,847,020.93 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $9,209,134,460.55 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $9,820,351,851.85 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $10,461,752,818.04 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $11,262,246,376.81 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $12,284,714,975.85 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $13,357,489,533.01 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $14,342,228,663.45 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $15,198,058,776.17 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $15,923,093,397.75 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $16,636,180,354.27 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $17,221,615,942.03 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $17,701,409,017.71 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $18,271,123,993.56 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $18,908,752,012.88 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $19,675,917,874.40 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $20,582,053,945.25 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $21,551,072,463.77 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $22,416,963,768.12 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $23,402,331,723.03 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $24,390,214,975.85 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $25,368,037,037.04 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $26,490,130,297.91 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $27,471,945,394.52 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $28,343,376,642.51 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $29,310,942,576.49 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $30,203,005,555.56 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $31,309,717,769.73 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $32,080,197,536.23 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $32,846,690,555.56 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $33,711,437,399.36 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $34,988,397,552.33 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $35,867,280,370.37 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $36,575,475,072.46 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $37,609,740,418.68 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $39,153,793,768.12 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $39,636,800,136.88 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $41,242,346,231.88 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $41,433,320,225.44 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $42,546,842,608.70 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $43,803,774,702.09 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $44,647,336,449.28 | 1.93%* |
* 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 | 591.677 |