According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $10,219,975,930,514.55 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 5.06% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $333,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $10,552,975,930,514.55 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.61% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1955: Pricing changed by 2.33%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1955-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.29%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $333,000,000,000 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 | $333,000,000,000.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $345,218,894,981.02 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $359,404,048,924.50 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $376,538,591,311.68 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $392,409,110,080.13 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $406,313,369,886.12 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $418,532,264,867.14 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $429,627,583,298.19 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $439,880,219,316.74 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $448,868,831,716.58 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $459,823,703,078.87 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $480,188,528,047.24 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $514,036,271,615.35 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $545,215,520,877.27 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $582,855,335,301.56 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $619,933,361,450.86 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $659,960,776,043.86 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $681,308,730,493.46 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $707,712,779,417.97 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $773,582,454,660.48 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $866,839,308,308.73 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $949,281,737,663.43 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,040,010,544,074.23 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $1,127,789,962,041.33 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,232,142,134,120.62 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $1,367,111,767,186.84 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,514,019,401,096.58 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $1,689,718,684,099.54 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $1,836,626,318,009.28 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $1,950,950,231,969.63 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $2,072,577,393,504.85 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $2,228,192,745,676.93 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $2,376,083,509,067.90 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $2,531,277,520,033.74 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $2,725,094,474,905.10 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $2,972,421,762,969.21 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $3,231,967,946,014.34 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $3,470,306,621,678.62 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $3,677,325,601,012.23 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $3,852,743,989,877.69 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $4,025,353,437,368.20 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $4,166,924,082,665.54 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $4,283,073,808,519.61 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $4,420,852,382,960.78 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $4,575,203,711,514.13 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $4,760,874,736,398.14 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $4,980,112,610,712.78 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $5,214,518,768,452.13 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $5,424,065,795,023.20 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $5,662,404,470,687.47 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $5,901,445,381,695.49 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $6,138,098,692,534.80 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $6,409,578,663,011.39 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $6,647,139,261,914.80 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $6,857,991,041,754.53 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $7,092,105,069,590.89 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $7,307,949,742,724.59 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $7,575,730,337,410.38 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $7,762,155,563,053.56 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $7,947,617,321,805.15 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $8,156,852,555,883.59 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $8,465,827,680,303.67 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $8,678,482,800,506.12 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $8,849,838,055,672.71 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $9,100,089,451,708.14 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $9,473,691,294,812.31 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $9,590,558,705,187.68 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $9,979,039,510,754.96 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $10,025,246,596,372.84 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $10,294,676,039,645.72 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $10,552,975,930,514.55 | 2.51%* |
* 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 |
| CPI | 10.200 | 10.200 | 10.300 | 10.300 | 10.360 | 10.360 | 10.420 | 10.740 | 11.260 | 11.580 | 11.900 | 12.560 | 13.538 | 14.377 | 14.838 | 15.115 | 15.838 | 16.700 | 17.292 | 17.823 | 18.238 | 18.908 | 19.685 | 20.623 | 21.492 | 22.254 | 22.923 | 23.531 | 24.092 | 24.585 | 25.185 | 26.300 | 28.154 | 29.862 | 31.923 | 33.954 | 36.146 | 37.315 | 38.762 | 42.369 | 47.477 | 51.992 | 56.962 | 61.769 | 67.485 | 74.877 | 82.923 | 92.546 | 100.592 | 106.854 | 113.515 | 122.038 | 130.138 | 138.638 | 149.254 | 162.800 | 177.015 | 190.069 | 201.408 | 211.015 | 220.469 | 228.223 | 234.585 | 242.131 | 250.585 | 260.754 | 272.762 | 285.600 | 297.077 | 310.131 | 323.223 | 336.185 | 351.054 | 364.065 | 375.613 | 388.436 | 400.258 | 414.924 | 425.134 | 435.292 | 446.752 | 463.675 | 475.322 | 484.707 | 498.413 | 518.876 | 525.276 | 546.554 | 549.084 | 563.841 | 577.988 |