According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $189,974,927,957.61 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 $6,190,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $196,164,927,957.61 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 $6,190,000,000 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 | $6,190,000,000.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $6,417,132,011.81 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $6,680,814,002.53 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $6,999,320,961.62 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $7,294,331,505.69 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $7,552,792,070.86 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $7,779,924,082.67 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $7,986,170,392.24 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $8,176,752,425.14 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $8,343,838,043.02 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $8,547,473,639.81 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $8,926,026,992.83 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $9,555,208,772.67 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $10,134,787,009.70 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $10,834,458,034.58 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $11,523,686,208.35 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $12,267,739,350.49 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $12,664,567,692.96 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $13,155,381,695.49 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $14,379,805,989.03 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $16,113,319,274.57 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $17,645,807,676.09 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $19,332,328,131.59 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $20,964,023,618.73 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $22,903,783,213.83 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $25,412,678,194.85 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $28,143,483,762.13 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $31,409,485,449.18 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $34,140,291,016.45 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $36,265,411,218.89 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $38,526,288,485.87 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $41,418,958,245.47 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $44,168,038,802.19 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $47,052,876,423.45 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $50,655,660,059.05 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $55,253,125,263.60 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $60,077,722,479.97 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $64,508,102,066.64 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $68,356,292,703.50 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $71,617,072,964.99 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $74,825,638,970.90 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $77,457,237,452.55 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $79,616,296,921.13 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $82,177,406,157.74 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $85,046,579,502.32 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $88,497,941,796.71 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $92,573,264,445.38 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $96,930,544,074.23 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $100,825,727,541.12 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $105,256,107,127.79 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $109,699,540,278.36 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $114,098,591,311.68 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $119,145,020,792.91 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $123,560,937,030.79 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $127,480,374,019.40 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $131,832,223,365.67 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $135,844,471,193.59 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $140,822,134,500.21 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $144,287,516,322.23 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $147,734,988,654.58 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $151,624,376,339.10 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $157,367,787,811.05 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $161,320,746,351.75 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $164,505,998,692.53 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $169,157,818,937.16 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $176,102,549,894.56 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $178,274,950,105.44 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $185,496,259,974.69 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $186,355,184,479.12 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $191,363,497,553.77 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $196,164,927,957.61 | 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 |