According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,804.09% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $41,272,112,044.40 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.94% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $1,084,939,099 in the year 1950 would cost $42,357,051,143.40 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.49% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1950: Pricing changed by 1.85%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1950-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.09%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $1,084,939,099 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $1,084,939,099.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $1,136,375,021.00 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $1,198,576,601.10 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $1,241,041,141.36 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $1,279,319,036.80 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $1,309,223,642.62 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,357,071,011.92 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,412,693,578.74 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,480,277,987.89 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $1,542,479,567.98 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $1,596,905,950.57 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $1,645,351,411.99 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $1,689,012,136.48 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,729,084,308.27 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $1,764,371,743.14 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,807,434,375.51 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,887,578,719.10 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $2,020,355,168.92 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $2,142,964,052.77 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $2,291,290,897.61 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $2,436,627,281.88 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $2,594,523,600.59 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $2,678,256,496.87 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,781,726,432.99 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $3,040,700,319.36 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $3,407,330,786.66 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $3,731,496,713.71 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $4,087,959,615.03 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $4,433,058,766.15 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $4,843,349,957.94 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $5,373,857,665.11 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $5,951,614,649.48 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $6,642,411,043.82 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $7,219,569,936.07 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $7,669,335,207.54 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $8,147,210,808.48 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $8,759,059,043.47 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $9,340,404,580.53 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $9,950,458,539.17 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $10,711,829,803.25 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $11,684,327,584.38 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $12,704,672,734.82 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $13,641,284,988.97 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $14,455,288,359.28 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $15,144,888,569.39 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $15,823,125,029.30 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $16,379,948,789.59 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $16,836,293,074.34 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $17,378,164,531.72 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $17,984,629,937.67 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $18,714,302,319.58 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $19,576,153,059.19 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $20,497,813,010.43 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $21,321,385,854.60 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $22,258,596,200.87 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $23,198,198,915.61 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $24,128,232,156.48 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $25,195,485,671.60 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $26,129,316,797.41 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $26,958,158,833.13 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $27,878,437,191.59 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $28,726,902,629.64 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $29,779,526,811.59 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $30,512,351,138.95 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $31,241,383,562.29 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $32,063,867,878.81 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $33,278,419,520.34 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $34,114,348,947.63 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $34,787,932,250.87 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $35,771,650,240.10 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $37,240,241,508.04 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $37,699,642,043.50 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $39,226,720,739.49 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $39,408,361,315.22 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $40,467,462,834.79 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $41,662,965,242.41 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $42,357,051,143.40 | 1.67%* |
* 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 | 590.169 |