According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,522.54% higher in 2026 versus 1941 (a $43,628,088.39 difference in value).
Between 1941 and 2026: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 $790,000 in the year 1941 would cost $44,418,088.39 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.70% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1941: Pricing changed by 0.56%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1941-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1941 (5.12%), inflation for medical care was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $790,000 beginning in 1941. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | $790,000.00 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $810,872.70 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $849,455.56 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $874,755.80 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $899,423.54 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $941,801.44 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $1,027,822.26 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $1,091,072.86 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $1,126,493.19 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $1,147,365.89 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $1,201,761.41 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $1,267,542.03 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $1,312,449.96 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $1,352,930.34 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $1,384,555.64 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,435,156.12 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,493,979.18 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,565,452.36 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $1,631,232.99 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $1,688,791.03 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $1,740,024.02 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $1,786,196.96 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,828,574.86 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $1,865,892.71 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,911,433.15 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,996,188.95 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $2,136,605.28 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $2,266,269.02 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $2,423,130.50 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $2,576,829.46 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $2,743,811.05 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $2,832,361.89 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,941,785.43 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $3,215,660.53 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $3,603,386.71 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $3,946,204.96 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $4,323,178.54 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $4,688,134.51 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $5,122,033.63 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $5,683,066.45 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $6,294,067.25 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $7,024,611.69 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $7,634,979.98 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $8,110,624.50 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $8,615,996.80 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $9,263,050.44 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $9,877,846.28 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $10,523,002.40 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $11,328,182.55 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $12,356,637.31 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $13,435,692.55 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $14,426,196.96 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $15,287,037.63 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $16,016,317.05 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $16,733,578.86 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $17,322,441.95 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $17,805,044.04 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $18,378,094.48 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $19,019,455.56 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $19,791,112.89 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $20,702,554.04 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $21,677,245.80 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $22,548,206.57 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $23,539,343.47 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $24,533,010.41 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $25,516,557.25 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $26,645,219.94 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $27,632,783.19 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $28,509,316.33 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $29,482,547.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $30,379,832.67 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $31,493,024.26 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $32,268,014.89 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $33,038,995.44 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $33,908,805.04 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $35,193,241.31 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $36,077,269.66 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $36,789,610.57 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $37,829,931.14 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $39,383,024.34 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $39,868,858.53 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $41,483,804.48 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $41,675,896.56 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $42,795,938.19 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $44,014,372.46 | 2.85% |
| 2026 | $44,418,088.39 | 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 |