According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,771.31% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $11,502,494,928,335.17 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 $305,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $11,807,494,928,335.17 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 $305,000,000,000 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 | $305,000,000,000.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $319,459,757,442.12 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $336,945,975,744.21 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $348,883,682,469.68 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $359,644,432,194.05 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $368,051,267,916.21 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $381,502,205,071.66 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $397,138,919,514.88 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $416,138,368,246.97 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $433,624,586,549.06 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $448,925,027,563.40 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $462,544,101,433.30 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $474,818,081,587.65 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $486,083,241,455.35 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $496,003,307,607.50 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $508,109,151,047.41 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $530,639,470,782.80 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $567,965,821,389.20 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $602,433,847,850.06 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $644,131,753,031.97 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $684,988,974,641.68 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $729,377,067,254.69 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $752,916,207,276.74 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $782,003,858,875.41 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $854,807,056,229.33 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $957,874,862,183.02 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,049,004,961,411.25 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,149,214,443,219.40 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $1,246,229,327,453.14 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,361,571,113,561.19 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $1,510,708,379,272.33 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,673,128,445,424.48 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $1,867,326,350,606.39 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $2,029,578,280,044.10 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,156,017,089,305.40 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $2,290,358,324,145.53 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $2,462,362,183,020.95 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $2,625,791,069,459.76 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $2,797,290,518,191.84 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $3,011,328,555,678.06 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $3,284,718,853,362.73 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $3,571,560,088,202.87 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $3,834,862,183,020.95 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $4,063,696,251,378.17 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $4,257,557,883,131.20 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $4,448,224,917,309.81 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $4,604,760,198,456.45 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $4,733,048,511,576.63 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $4,885,380,374,862.18 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $5,055,871,003,307.61 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $5,260,997,794,928.34 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $5,503,282,800,441.02 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $5,762,381,477,398.02 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $5,993,905,733,186.33 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $6,257,375,964,718.85 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $6,521,518,743,109.15 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $6,782,971,334,068.36 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $7,082,999,531,422.27 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $7,345,519,790,518.19 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $7,578,525,330,760.75 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $7,837,235,611,907.39 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $8,075,757,717,750.83 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $8,371,673,291,069.46 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $8,577,686,163,175.30 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $8,782,633,048,511.58 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $9,013,851,295,479.60 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $9,355,288,202,866.59 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $9,590,286,163,175.31 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $9,779,645,093,715.55 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $10,056,189,636,163.18 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $10,469,042,613,009.92 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $10,598,190,104,740.90 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $11,027,485,170,893.05 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $11,078,548,291,069.46 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $11,376,284,785,005.51 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $11,700,176,626,240.35 | 2.85% |
| 2026 | $11,807,494,928,335.17 | 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 |