According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,771.31% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $100,316,841,014,332.95 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.93% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $2,660,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $102,976,841,014,332.95 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.48% 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 $2,660,000,000,000 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 | $2,660,000,000,000.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $2,786,108,048,511.58 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $2,938,610,804,851.16 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $3,042,723,263,506.06 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $3,136,571,113,561.19 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $3,209,889,746,416.76 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $3,327,199,558,985.67 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $3,463,572,216,097.02 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $3,629,272,326,350.61 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $3,781,775,082,690.19 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $3,915,214,994,487.32 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $4,033,991,179,713.34 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $4,141,036,383,682.47 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $4,239,283,351,708.93 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $4,325,799,338,478.50 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $4,431,378,169,790.52 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $4,627,872,105,843.44 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $4,953,406,835,722.16 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $5,254,013,230,429.99 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $5,617,673,649,393.61 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $5,974,002,205,071.66 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $6,361,124,586,549.06 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $6,566,416,758,544.65 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $6,820,099,228,224.92 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $7,455,038,588,754.13 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $8,353,925,027,563.40 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $9,148,699,007,717.75 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $10,022,657,111,356.12 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $10,868,754,134,509.37 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $11,874,685,777,287.76 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $13,175,358,324,145.54 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $14,591,874,310,915.11 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $16,285,534,729,878.72 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $17,700,584,343,991.18 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $18,803,296,582,138.92 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $19,974,928,335,170.89 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $21,475,027,563,395.81 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $22,900,341,786,108.05 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $24,396,041,896,361.64 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $26,262,734,288,864.39 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $28,647,056,229,327.45 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $31,148,687,982,359.43 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $33,445,027,563,395.81 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $35,440,760,749,724.37 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $37,131,488,423,373.76 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $38,794,355,016,538.04 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $40,159,547,960,308.71 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $41,278,390,297,684.68 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $42,606,923,925,027.56 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $44,093,825,799,338.49 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $45,882,800,441,014.33 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $47,995,843,439,911.79 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $50,255,523,704,520.39 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $52,274,718,853,362.73 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $54,572,524,807,056.23 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $56,876,196,251,378.16 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $59,156,405,733,186.32 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $61,773,045,093,715.54 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $64,062,566,041,896.37 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $66,094,679,933,847.86 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $68,350,972,877,618.52 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $70,431,198,456,449.83 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $73,011,970,341,786.09 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $74,808,672,767,364.92 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $76,596,078,390,297.69 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $78,612,604,740,904.06 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $81,590,382,359,426.69 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $83,639,872,767,364.94 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $85,291,330,981,256.91 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $87,703,162,072,767.38 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $91,303,781,477,398.02 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $92,430,116,979,051.84 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $96,174,132,965,821.41 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $96,619,470,341,786.13 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $99,216,123,042,998.88 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $102,040,884,674,751.92 | 2.85% |
| 2026 | $102,976,841,014,332.95 | 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 |