According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,723.84% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $488,461,376,289.03 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.98% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $13,117,141,838 in the year 1950 would cost $501,578,518,127.03 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.51% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1950: Pricing changed by 1.87%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1950-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.10%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $13,117,141,838 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 | $13,117,141,838.00 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $13,744,628,521.34 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $14,492,272,229.16 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $15,006,277,278.28 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $15,466,879,205.42 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $15,827,350,278.83 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $16,408,109,230.43 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $17,082,323,645.52 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $17,896,721,255.82 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $18,651,040,353.88 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $19,311,903,988.47 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $19,892,662,940.07 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $20,420,018,769.69 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $20,907,322,257.82 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $21,334,547,233.71 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $21,855,227,673.08 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $22,823,159,259.10 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $24,431,928,308.95 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $25,913,864,944.08 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $27,702,869,530.64 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $29,465,172,556.20 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $31,367,658,776.98 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $32,382,318,094.73 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $33,637,291,461.42 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $36,768,049,487.89 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $41,200,508,612.79 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $45,118,962,688.57 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $49,431,264,789.00 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $53,603,383,694.22 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $58,563,198,648.74 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $64,978,248,677.40 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $71,960,706,877.17 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $80,311,620,077.85 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $87,294,078,277.62 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $92,727,845,939.78 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $98,508,733,894.84 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $105,905,066,290.01 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $112,934,252,221.52 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $120,310,558,445.94 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $129,522,596,988.66 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $141,277,959,216.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $153,614,080,394.94 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $164,942,217,646.38 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $174,781,742,872.44 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $183,119,305,292.63 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $191,323,359,907.85 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $198,052,153,278.18 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $203,572,701,013.56 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $210,121,258,847.19 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $217,457,512,730.12 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $226,282,378,638.43 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $236,702,662,816.10 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $247,843,889,140.59 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $257,803,571,391.12 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $269,131,708,642.57 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $280,493,222,845.25 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $291,741,255,413.72 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $304,644,584,502.06 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $315,935,740,091.53 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $325,957,436,717.47 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $337,084,778,230.24 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $347,343,784,979.51 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $360,071,284,288.71 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $368,931,997,042.66 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $377,746,916,619.50 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $387,691,779,503.69 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $402,377,237,526.63 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $412,484,646,163.36 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $420,629,089,543.66 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $432,523,433,395.97 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $450,280,572,241.69 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $455,835,231,221.24 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $474,299,560,909.87 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $476,495,764,301.58 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $489,301,632,692.30 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $501,578,518,127.03 | 2.51%* |
* 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 |
| CPI | 10.200 | 10.200 | 10.300 | 10.300 | 10.360 | 10.360 | 10.420 | 10.740 | 11.260 | 11.580 | 11.900 | 12.560 | 13.538 | 14.377 | 14.838 | 15.115 | 15.838 | 16.700 | 17.292 | 17.823 | 18.238 | 18.908 | 19.685 | 20.623 | 21.492 | 22.254 | 22.923 | 23.531 | 24.092 | 24.585 | 25.185 | 26.300 | 28.154 | 29.862 | 31.923 | 33.954 | 36.146 | 37.315 | 38.762 | 42.369 | 47.477 | 51.992 | 56.962 | 61.769 | 67.485 | 74.877 | 82.923 | 92.546 | 100.592 | 106.854 | 113.515 | 122.038 | 130.138 | 138.638 | 149.254 | 162.800 | 177.015 | 190.069 | 201.408 | 211.015 | 220.469 | 228.223 | 234.585 | 242.131 | 250.585 | 260.754 | 272.762 | 285.600 | 297.077 | 310.131 | 323.223 | 336.185 | 351.054 | 364.065 | 375.613 | 388.436 | 400.258 | 414.924 | 425.134 | 435.292 | 446.752 | 463.675 | 475.322 | 484.707 | 498.413 | 518.876 | 525.276 | 546.554 | 549.084 | 563.841 | 577.988 |