According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,435.55% higher in 2026 versus 1942 (a $19,410,340,414.98 difference in value).
Between 1942 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.89% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $357,100,000 in the year 1942 would cost $19,767,440,414.98 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.63% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1942: Pricing changed by 2.64%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1942-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1942 (10.92%), inflation for medical care was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $357,100,000 beginning in 1942. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | $357,100,000.00 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $374,091,497.66 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $385,233,463.34 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $396,096,879.88 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $414,759,672.39 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $452,642,355.69 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $480,497,269.89 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $496,096,021.84 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $505,288,143.53 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $529,243,369.73 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $558,212,480.50 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $577,989,469.58 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $595,816,614.66 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $609,744,071.76 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $632,028,003.12 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $657,933,073.32 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $689,409,126.37 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $718,378,237.13 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $743,726,209.05 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $766,288,689.55 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $786,622,776.91 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $805,285,569.42 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $821,719,968.80 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $841,775,507.02 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $879,101,092.04 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $940,939,001.56 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $998,041,575.66 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $1,067,121,762.87 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $1,134,809,204.37 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $1,208,346,177.85 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $1,247,343,057.72 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $1,295,532,059.28 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $1,416,143,837.75 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $1,586,894,461.78 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,737,868,096.72 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,903,883,385.34 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $2,064,606,240.25 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $2,255,690,951.64 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $2,502,764,040.56 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $2,771,842,511.70 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $3,093,566,770.67 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $3,362,366,692.67 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $3,571,835,647.43 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $3,794,396,411.86 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $4,079,352,184.09 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $4,350,101,950.08 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $4,634,222,074.88 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $4,988,815,132.61 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $5,441,736,037.44 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $5,916,940,873.63 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $6,353,148,829.95 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $6,732,254,212.17 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $7,053,421,372.85 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $7,369,296,099.84 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $7,628,625,351.01 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $7,841,158,346.33 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $8,093,523,868.95 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $8,375,972,698.91 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $8,715,802,652.11 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $9,117,191,965.68 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $9,546,436,193.45 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $9,929,998,361.93 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $10,366,484,867.39 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $10,804,085,569.42 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $11,237,229,485.18 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $11,734,280,930.58 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $12,169,193,633.39 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $12,555,209,819.81 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $12,983,810,599.06 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $13,378,965,982.84 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $13,869,204,116.22 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $14,210,502,023.40 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $14,550,033,929.02 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $14,933,089,138.07 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $15,498,741,666.15 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $15,888,058,659.91 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $16,201,766,274.57 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $16,659,912,761.31 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $17,343,879,037.44 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $17,557,835,418.88 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $18,269,041,015.60 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $18,353,636,390.02 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $18,846,891,210.61 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $19,403,671,948.52 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $19,767,440,414.98 | 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 |