According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,141.92% higher in 2026 versus 1955 (a $13,007,566,048,423.94 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 $414,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $13,421,566,048,423.94 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 $414,000,000,000 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 | $414,000,000,000.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $429,130,196,436.73 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $446,719,049,794.43 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $468,090,452,261.31 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $487,759,707,629.05 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $504,970,306,075.83 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $520,289,629,968.02 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $534,095,934,216.54 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $546,767,473,732.30 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $557,925,993,604.39 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $571,543,170,397.44 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $596,886,249,428.96 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $638,872,544,540.89 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $677,643,672,910.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $724,547,281,863.86 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $770,505,253,540.43 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $820,434,901,781.64 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $846,912,745,545.91 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $879,631,795,340.34 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $961,523,983,554.13 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $1,077,459,113,750.57 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,179,966,194,609.41 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,292,686,158,063.04 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $1,401,812,699,862.95 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,531,554,134,307.90 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $1,699,310,187,300.14 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,882,007,309,273.64 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $2,100,449,520,328.92 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $2,282,957,514,846.96 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,425,181,361,352.22 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $2,576,294,198,264.05 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $2,769,771,585,198.72 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $2,953,603,471,904.98 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $3,146,513,476,473.28 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $3,387,272,727,272.73 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $3,694,793,969,849.25 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $4,017,445,408,862.49 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $4,313,619,004,111.47 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $4,571,021,470,991.32 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $4,789,085,427,135.68 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $5,003,555,961,626.31 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $5,179,633,622,658.75 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $5,323,937,871,174.05 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $5,495,287,345,820.01 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $5,687,062,585,655.55 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $5,917,798,081,315.67 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $6,190,330,744,632.25 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $6,481,776,153,494.75 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $6,742,204,659,661.95 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $7,038,567,382,366.38 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $7,335,686,614,892.64 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $7,629,779,808,131.57 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $7,967,264,513,476.47 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $8,262,558,666,057.56 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $8,524,653,385,107.36 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $8,815,661,909,547.74 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $9,083,961,900,411.15 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $9,416,820,548,195.52 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $9,648,552,745,545.91 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $9,879,085,874,828.69 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $10,139,170,169,026.95 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $10,523,233,184,102.33 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $10,787,569,063,499.31 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $11,000,568,186,386.48 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $11,311,637,460,027.41 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $11,776,032,361,809.05 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $11,921,303,051,621.75 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $12,404,192,727,272.73 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $12,461,630,735,495.66 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $12,796,537,633,622.66 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $13,174,576,939,241.66 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $13,421,566,048,423.94 | 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 |