According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,804.09% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $87,494,180,815,876.52 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 $2,300,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $89,794,180,815,876.52 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 $2,300,000,000,000 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 | $2,300,000,000,000.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $2,409,040,793,825.80 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $2,540,904,079,382.58 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $2,630,926,130,099.23 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $2,712,072,767,364.94 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $2,775,468,577,728.78 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $2,876,901,874,310.92 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $2,994,818,081,587.65 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $3,138,092,613,009.92 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $3,269,955,898,566.70 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $3,385,336,273,428.89 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $3,488,037,486,218.30 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $3,580,595,369,349.50 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $3,665,545,755,237.05 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $3,740,352,811,466.37 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $3,831,642,778,390.30 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $4,001,543,550,165.38 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $4,283,020,948,180.82 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $4,542,943,770,672.55 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $4,857,386,990,077.18 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $5,165,490,628,445.42 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $5,500,220,507,166.48 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $5,677,728,776,185.23 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $5,897,078,280,044.10 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $6,446,085,997,794.93 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $7,223,318,632,855.57 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $7,910,529,217,199.56 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $8,666,207,276,736.49 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $9,397,794,928,335.17 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $10,267,585,446,527.01 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $11,392,227,122,381.48 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $12,617,034,178,610.81 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $14,081,477,398,015.44 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $15,305,016,538,037.49 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $16,258,489,525,909.59 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $17,271,554,575,523.71 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $18,568,632,855,567.81 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $19,801,047,409,040.80 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $21,094,321,940,463.07 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $22,708,379,272,326.35 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $24,770,011,025,358.32 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $26,933,076,074,972.44 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $28,918,632,855,567.81 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $30,644,266,813,671.45 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $32,106,174,200,661.52 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $33,543,991,179,713.34 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $34,724,421,168,687.98 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $35,691,841,234,840.13 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $36,840,573,318,632.85 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $38,126,240,352,811.47 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $39,673,098,125,689.09 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $41,500,165,380,374.86 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $43,454,024,255,788.31 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $45,199,944,873,208.38 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $47,186,769,570,011.02 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $49,178,665,931,642.77 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $51,150,275,633,958.10 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $53,412,783,351,708.93 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $55,392,444,321,940.47 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $57,149,535,281,146.64 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $59,100,465,270,121.28 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $60,899,156,560,088.20 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $63,130,651,047,409.03 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $64,684,190,738,699.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $66,229,691,841,234.83 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $67,973,304,851,157.66 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $70,548,074,972,436.61 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $72,320,190,738,699.02 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $73,748,143,329,658.22 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $75,833,561,190,738.70 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $78,946,878,721,058.44 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $79,920,777,839,029.78 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $83,158,084,895,259.09 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $83,543,151,047,409.05 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $85,788,377,067,254.69 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $88,322,764,057,331.86 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $89,794,180,815,876.52 | 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 |