According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $15,620,398,004,079.60 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 $508,963,286,286 in the year 1955 would cost $16,129,361,290,365.60 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 $508,963,286,286 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 | $508,963,286,286.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $527,638,868,701.39 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $549,319,717,252.58 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $575,508,465,007.49 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $599,765,255,960.81 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $621,016,780,778.32 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $639,692,363,193.71 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $656,650,650,674.35 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $672,320,966,953.92 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $686,059,326,431.91 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $702,802,952,045.70 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $733,928,922,738.02 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $785,662,432,647.30 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $833,317,367,086.57 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $890,846,747,400.63 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $947,517,480,247.32 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $1,008,696,112,297.73 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $1,041,324,716,057.94 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $1,081,681,147,024.53 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $1,182,357,562,574.14 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $1,324,893,042,158.24 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,450,899,557,995.39 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,589,571,123,976.31 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $1,723,734,790,753.51 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,883,228,557,818.25 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $2,089,518,611,854.88 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $2,314,054,924,573.21 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $2,582,596,919,994.46 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $2,807,133,232,712.79 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,981,867,992,323.42 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $3,167,765,169,009.91 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $3,405,610,517,472.54 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $3,631,649,463,258.77 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $3,868,850,826,120.87 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $4,165,084,202,364.93 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $4,543,103,749,876.38 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $4,939,798,879,803.22 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $5,304,080,067,836.68 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $5,620,491,659,564.04 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $5,888,604,331,251.60 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $6,152,423,765,602.30 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $6,368,802,927,380.57 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $6,546,328,291,260.17 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $6,756,911,582,633.67 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $6,992,824,974,294.70 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $7,276,607,962,261.84 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $7,611,695,136,404.59 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $7,969,965,792,166.43 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $8,290,241,297,496.97 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $8,654,522,485,530.44 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $9,019,876,982,898.12 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $9,381,582,228,529.46 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $9,796,517,177,281.99 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $10,159,609,138,573.14 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $10,481,878,852,646.65 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $10,839,703,011,725.47 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $11,169,603,955,165.27 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $11,578,884,710,345.14 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $11,863,820,432,537.23 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $12,147,283,574,322.78 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $12,467,082,530,308.93 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $12,939,325,757,652.67 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $13,264,351,730,096.46 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $13,526,254,233,976.24 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $13,908,743,041,555.37 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $14,479,762,926,927.17 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $14,658,385,212,946.33 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $15,252,146,376,491.53 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $15,322,770,130,683.05 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $15,734,571,016,179.67 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $16,129,361,290,365.60 | 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 |