According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 2,412.95% higher in 2026 versus 1962 (a $12,064,752,124,645,892,096 difference in value).
Between 1962 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 5.17% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $500,000,000,000,000,000 in the year 1962 would cost $12,564,752,124,645,892,096 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.78% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1962: Pricing changed by 2.65%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1962-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1962 (1.20%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $500,000,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1962. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | $500,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $511,862,606,232,294,656.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $522,308,781,869,688,448.00 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $535,056,657,223,795,968.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $558,781,869,688,385,344.00 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $598,087,818,696,883,968.00 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $634,383,852,691,218,176.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $678,293,201,133,144,576.00 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $721,317,280,453,257,728.00 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $768,059,490,084,985,856.00 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $792,847,025,495,750,912.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $823,477,337,110,481,664.00 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $900,141,643,059,490,048.00 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $1,008,675,637,393,767,808.00 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,104,638,810,198,300,288.00 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,210,162,889,518,413,824.00 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $1,312,322,946,175,637,504.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,433,781,869,688,385,536.00 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $1,590,828,611,898,017,024.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,761,862,606,232,294,912.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $1,966,359,773,371,105,024.00 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $2,137,216,713,881,019,648.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,270,361,189,801,699,840.00 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $2,411,827,195,467,422,208.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $2,592,953,257,790,368,768.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $2,765,049,575,070,821,888.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $2,945,644,475,920,680,448.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $3,171,033,994,334,277,632.00 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $3,458,923,512,747,874,816.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $3,760,977,337,110,481,408.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $4,038,243,626,062,323,200.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $4,279,213,881,019,830,784.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $4,483,356,940,509,914,624.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $4,684,135,977,337,111,552.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $4,848,973,087,818,697,728.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $4,984,065,155,807,366,144.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $5,144,475,920,679,886,848.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $5,324,008,498,583,569,408.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $5,540,014,164,305,949,696.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $5,795,148,725,212,464,128.00 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $6,067,988,668,555,240,448.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $6,311,791,784,702,547,968.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $6,589,235,127,478,752,256.00 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $6,867,386,685,552,407,552.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $7,142,705,382,436,260,864.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $7,458,645,538,243,627,008.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $7,735,088,526,912,182,272.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $7,980,451,487,252,127,744.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $8,252,882,436,260,625,408.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $8,504,054,532,577,904,640.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $8,815,663,951,841,360,896.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $9,032,602,691,218,129,920.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $9,248,418,909,348,442,112.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $9,491,899,787,535,411,200.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $9,851,444,759,206,801,408.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $10,098,905,807,365,439,488.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $10,298,307,365,439,094,784.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $10,589,518,413,597,734,912.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $11,024,266,997,167,140,864.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $11,160,263,810,198,302,720.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $11,612,326,487,252,125,696.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $11,666,097,733,711,048,704.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $11,979,624,645,892,349,952.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $12,333,530,453,257,789,440.00 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $12,564,752,124,645,892,096.00 | 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 |