According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $1,933,508,959,827.08 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 $63,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $1,996,508,959,827.08 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 $63,000,000,000 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 | $63,000,000,000.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $65,311,682,834.25 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $67,995,360,607.34 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $71,237,030,788.70 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $74,239,561,366.51 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $76,870,097,005.48 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $79,181,779,839.73 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $81,280,894,137.49 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $83,220,582,032.90 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $84,921,130,324.76 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $86,993,673,555.46 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $90,846,478,279.21 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $97,250,105,440.74 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $103,148,882,328.13 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $110,269,928,300.30 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $117,284,690,004.22 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $124,857,444,116.41 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $128,896,246,309.57 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $133,891,606,916.91 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $146,353,437,368.20 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $163,996,625,896.25 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $179,593,842,260.65 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $196,758,751,581.61 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $213,365,668,494.31 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $233,107,971,320.12 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $258,642,766,765.08 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $286,436,102,910.16 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $319,676,507,802.61 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $347,469,843,947.70 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $369,098,692,534.80 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $392,109,236,609.03 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $421,549,978,911.85 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $449,529,312,526.36 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $478,890,341,628.01 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $515,558,414,171.24 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $562,350,063,264.45 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $611,453,395,191.90 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $656,544,495,993.25 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $695,710,248,840.15 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $728,897,511,598.48 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $761,553,353,015.61 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $788,336,988,612.40 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $810,311,261,071.28 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $836,377,477,857.44 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $865,579,080,556.73 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $900,706,031,210.46 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $942,183,466,891.61 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $986,530,577,815.27 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $1,026,174,609,869.25 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $1,071,265,710,670.60 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $1,116,489,666,807.25 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $1,161,261,914,803.88 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $1,212,622,990,299.45 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $1,257,566,887,389.29 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $1,297,457,764,656.26 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $1,341,749,607,760.44 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $1,382,585,086,461.41 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $1,433,246,280,050.61 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $1,468,515,917,334.46 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $1,503,603,277,098.27 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $1,543,188,321,383.38 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $1,601,643,074,652.05 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $1,641,875,124,420.08 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $1,674,293,686,208.35 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $1,721,638,544,917.76 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $1,792,319,974,694.22 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $1,814,430,025,305.78 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $1,887,926,393,926.61 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $1,896,668,274,989.46 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $1,947,641,412,905.95 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $1,996,508,959,827.08 | 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 |