According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,141.92% higher in 2026 versus 1955 (a $47,128,862,494,289,632 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 5.02% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $1,500,000,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $48,628,862,494,289,632 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.58% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1955: Pricing changed by 2.34%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1955-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.28%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $1,500,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1955. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | $1,500,000,000,000,000.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,554,819,552,306,989.75 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,618,547,281,863,865.00 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,695,979,899,497,487.25 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $1,767,245,317,496,573.50 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $1,829,602,558,245,774.00 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $1,885,107,354,956,601.25 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $1,935,130,196,436,729.00 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,981,041,571,493,833.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $2,021,470,991,320,237.50 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $2,070,808,588,396,528.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $2,162,631,338,510,735.25 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $2,314,755,596,162,631.50 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $2,455,230,698,949,292.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $2,625,171,311,100,959.50 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $2,791,685,701,233,439.50 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $2,972,590,223,846,505.00 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $3,068,524,440,383,737.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $3,187,071,722,247,601.50 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $3,483,782,549,109,182.00 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $3,903,837,368,661,489.50 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $4,275,239,835,541,342.50 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $4,683,645,500,228,415.00 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $5,079,031,521,242,577.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $5,549,109,182,275,011.00 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $6,156,920,968,478,757.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $6,818,867,062,585,655.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $7,610,324,349,017,816.00 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $8,271,585,198,720,876.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $8,786,888,990,406,578.00 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $9,334,399,269,072,636.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $10,035,404,294,198,264.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $10,701,461,854,728,188.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $11,400,411,146,642,304.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $12,272,727,272,727,272.00 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $13,386,934,673,366,832.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $14,555,961,626,313,382.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $15,629,054,362,722,706.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $16,561,671,996,345,362.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $17,351,758,793,969,848.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $18,128,825,947,921,424.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $18,766,788,487,894,016.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $19,289,629,968,021,928.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $19,910,461,397,898,584.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $20,605,299,223,389,676.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $21,441,297,396,071,264.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $22,428,734,582,000,908.00 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $23,484,696,208,314,296.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $24,428,277,752,398,356.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $25,502,055,733,211,508.00 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $26,578,574,691,640,016.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $27,644,129,739,607,120.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $28,866,900,411,146,640.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $29,936,806,761,078,120.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $30,886,425,308,359,984.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $31,940,804,020,100,500.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $32,912,905,436,272,268.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $34,118,915,029,693,928.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $34,958,524,440,383,728.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $35,793,789,401,553,220.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $36,736,123,800,822,296.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $38,127,656,464,138,880.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $39,085,395,157,606,208.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $39,857,131,110,095,944.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $40,984,193,695,751,480.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $42,666,783,919,597,984.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $43,193,126,998,629,512.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $44,942,727,272,727,272.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $45,150,835,998,172,680.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $46,364,266,788,487,896.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $47,733,974,417,542,256.00 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $48,628,862,494,289,632.00 | 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 |