According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $11,322,969,134.61 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 $368,939,100 in the year 1955 would cost $11,691,908,234.61 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 $368,939,100 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 | $368,939,100.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $382,476,721.97 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $398,192,811.85 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $417,176,603.58 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $434,759,951.67 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $450,164,831.84 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $463,702,453.82 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $475,995,236.99 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $487,354,391.06 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $497,313,101.48 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $509,450,279.80 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $532,012,983.09 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $569,513,752.00 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $604,058,028.76 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $645,760,128.64 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $686,839,809.11 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $731,187,191.44 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $754,839,128.68 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $784,092,840.53 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $857,071,515.31 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $960,393,135.89 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,051,733,183.00 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,152,253,916.28 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $1,249,506,947.70 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,365,121,351.46 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $1,514,657,612.57 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,677,420,285.96 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $1,872,081,953.65 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $2,034,844,627.04 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,161,506,975.16 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $2,296,260,775.50 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $2,468,670,949.60 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $2,632,522,856.94 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $2,804,466,216.49 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $3,019,200,909.87 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $3,293,221,051.20 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $3,580,778,814.51 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $3,844,840,245.42 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $4,074,201,794.73 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $4,268,552,252.72 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $4,459,790,613.71 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $4,616,640,302.78 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $4,745,325,513.96 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $4,897,973,872.08 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $5,068,983,602.53 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $5,274,693,214.59 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $5,517,592,385.87 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $5,777,296,880.98 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $6,009,459,317.59 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $6,273,520,748.50 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $6,538,360,203.67 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $6,800,554,376.38 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $7,101,333,883.82 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $7,364,533,263.86 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $7,598,141,269.53 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $7,857,522,106.55 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $8,096,661,864.64 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $8,393,342,740.32 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $8,599,887,950.43 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $8,805,365,711.26 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $9,037,182,705.11 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $9,379,504,039.42 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $9,615,110,011.36 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $9,804,958,821.04 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $10,082,218,655.35 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $10,496,141,561.52 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $10,625,621,913.48 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $11,056,029,597.48 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $11,107,223,593.22 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $11,405,731,269.85 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $11,691,908,234.61 | 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 |