According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,812.11% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $13,418,635,854,465.27 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 $352,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $13,770,635,854,465.27 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 $352,000,000,000 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 | $352,000,000,000.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $368,687,982,359.43 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $388,868,798,235.94 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $402,646,085,997.79 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $415,065,049,614.11 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $424,767,364,939.36 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $440,291,069,459.76 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $458,337,375,964.72 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $480,264,608,599.78 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $500,445,424,476.30 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $518,103,638,368.25 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $533,821,389,195.15 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $547,986,769,570.01 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $560,987,872,105.84 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $572,436,604,189.64 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $586,407,938,257.99 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $612,410,143,329.66 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $655,488,423,373.76 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $695,267,916,207.28 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $743,391,400,220.51 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $790,544,652,701.21 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $841,772,877,618.52 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $868,939,360,529.22 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $902,509,371,554.58 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $986,531,422,271.22 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $1,105,481,808,158.77 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,210,654,906,284.45 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,326,306,504,961.41 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $1,438,271,223,814.77 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,571,386,990,077.18 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $1,743,506,063,947.08 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,930,954,796,030.87 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $2,155,078,280,044.10 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $2,342,332,965,821.39 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,488,255,788,313.12 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $2,643,298,787,210.58 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $2,841,808,158,765.16 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $3,030,421,168,687.98 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $3,228,348,401,323.04 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $3,475,369,349,503.86 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $3,790,888,643,880.93 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $4,121,931,642,778.39 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $4,425,808,158,765.16 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $4,689,905,181,918.41 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $4,913,640,573,318.63 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $5,133,689,084,895.26 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $5,314,346,196,251.38 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $5,462,403,528,114.66 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $5,638,209,481,808.16 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $5,834,972,436,604.19 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $6,071,708,930,540.24 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $6,351,329,658,213.89 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $6,650,355,016,538.04 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $6,917,556,780,595.37 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $7,221,627,342,888.64 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $7,526,474,090,407.94 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $7,828,216,097,023.15 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $8,174,478,147,739.80 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $8,477,452,348,401.32 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $8,746,363,660,418.97 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $9,044,940,771,775.08 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $9,320,218,743,109.15 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $9,661,734,421,168.69 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $9,899,493,539,140.02 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $10,136,022,403,528.12 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $10,402,871,003,307.61 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $10,796,922,778,390.30 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $11,068,133,539,140.02 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $11,286,672,370,452.04 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $11,605,831,973,539.14 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $12,082,304,917,309.81 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $12,231,353,825,799.34 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $12,726,802,557,883.13 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $12,785,734,421,168.69 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $13,129,351,620,727.68 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $13,517,223,020,948.18 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $13,770,635,854,465.27 | 1.87%* |
* 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 | 591.381 |