According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,135.28% higher in 2026 versus 1955 (a $72,111,440,840,566.47 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 $2,300,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $74,411,440,840,566.47 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 $2,300,000,000,000 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 | $2,300,000,000,000.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $2,384,056,646,870.72 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $2,481,772,498,857.93 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $2,600,502,512,562.81 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $2,709,776,153,494.75 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $2,805,390,589,310.19 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $2,890,497,944,266.79 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $2,967,199,634,536.32 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $3,037,597,076,290.54 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $3,099,588,853,357.70 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $3,175,239,835,541.34 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $3,316,034,719,049.79 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $3,549,291,914,116.04 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $3,764,687,071,722.25 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $4,025,262,677,021.47 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $4,280,584,741,891.27 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $4,557,971,676,564.64 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $4,705,070,808,588.40 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $4,886,843,307,446.32 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $5,341,799,908,634.08 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $5,985,883,965,280.95 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $6,555,367,747,830.06 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $7,181,589,767,016.90 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $7,787,848,332,571.95 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $8,508,634,079,488.35 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $9,440,612,151,667.43 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $10,455,596,162,631.34 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $11,669,164,001,827.32 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $12,683,097,304,705.35 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $13,473,229,785,290.09 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $14,312,745,545,911.38 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $15,387,619,917,770.67 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $16,408,908,177,249.89 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $17,480,630,424,851.53 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $18,818,181,818,181.82 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $20,526,633,165,829.14 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $22,319,141,160,347.19 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $23,964,550,022,841.48 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $25,394,563,727,729.56 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $26,606,030,150,753.77 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $27,797,533,120,146.19 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $28,775,742,348,104.16 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $29,577,432,617,633.62 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $30,529,374,143,444.49 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $31,594,792,142,530.84 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $32,876,656,007,309.28 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $34,390,726,359,068.06 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $36,009,867,519,415.25 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $37,456,692,553,677.48 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $39,103,152,124,257.65 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $40,753,814,527,181.35 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $42,387,665,600,730.92 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $44,262,580,630,424.85 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $45,903,103,700,319.78 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $47,359,185,472,818.64 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $48,975,899,497,487.44 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $50,466,455,002,284.15 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $52,315,669,712,197.34 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $53,603,070,808,588.39 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $54,883,810,415,714.93 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $56,328,723,161,260.84 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $58,462,406,578,346.28 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $59,930,939,241,662.86 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $61,114,267,702,147.10 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $62,842,430,333,485.61 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $65,422,402,010,050.25 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $66,229,461,397,898.59 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $68,912,181,818,181.81 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $69,231,281,863,864.78 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $71,091,875,742,348.11 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $73,192,094,106,898.13 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $74,411,440,840,566.47 | 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 |