According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,613.83% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $140,345,653,577,369,584 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.82% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $2,500,000,025,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $142,845,653,602,369,584 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.08%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1940-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for medical care was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $2,500,000,025,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $2,500,000,025,000,000.00 | -0.08% |
| 1941 | $2,514,090,202,274,557.50 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $2,580,515,323,711,755.00 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $2,703,301,154,247,182.50 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $2,783,816,452,958,937.50 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $2,862,318,869,202,898.50 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $2,997,181,994,545,089.50 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $3,270,934,010,165,056.50 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $3,472,222,256,944,445.00 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $3,584,943,675,140,902.00 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $3,651,368,796,578,100.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $3,824,476,688,808,374.00 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $4,033,816,465,458,937.50 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $4,176,731,120,672,302.50 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $4,305,555,598,611,111.50 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $4,406,199,722,000,806.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $4,567,230,319,424,316.00 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $4,754,428,388,929,146.00 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $4,981,884,107,789,855.00 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $5,191,223,884,440,418.00 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $5,374,396,189,009,662.00 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $5,537,439,668,900,966.00 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $5,684,380,089,049,919.00 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $5,819,243,214,392,110.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $5,938,003,279,991,948.00 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $6,082,930,817,673,108.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $6,352,657,068,357,489.00 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $6,799,516,976,207,730.00 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $7,212,157,882,105,475.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $7,711,352,734,118,359.00 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $8,200,483,173,792,269.00 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $8,731,884,145,289,855.00 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $9,013,687,690,781,000.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $9,361,916,357,709,340.00 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $10,233,494,466,264,090.00 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $11,467,391,419,021,740.00 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $12,558,373,716,566,024.00 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $13,758,051,667,371,176.00 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $14,919,484,851,288,246.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $16,300,322,224,194,846.00 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $18,085,748,973,128,020.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $20,030,193,437,016,908.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $22,355,072,687,318,840.00 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $24,297,504,268,739,932.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $25,811,191,884,520,936.00 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $27,419,484,976,288,244.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $29,478,663,740,841,392.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $31,435,185,499,537,044.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $33,488,325,616,686,800.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $36,050,724,998,188,408.00 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $39,323,671,890,821,248.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $42,757,649,380,877,608.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $45,909,823,325,442,840.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $48,649,356,364,110,296.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $50,970,209,849,476,648.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $53,252,818,567,954,912.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $55,126,812,145,471,016.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $56,662,641,468,397,752.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $58,486,312,984,219,000.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $60,527,375,806,562,000.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $62,983,092,417,270,528.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $65,883,656,053,361,504.00 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $68,985,507,936,231,872.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $71,757,247,094,384,056.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $74,911,433,921,417,072.00 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $78,073,672,278,321,248.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $81,203,704,515,740,752.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $84,795,552,377,746,176.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $87,938,366,418,836,160.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $90,727,839,071,529,600.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $93,825,041,195,899,344.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $96,680,556,522,361,120.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $100,223,169,279,204,288.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $102,689,493,780,518,112.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $105,143,056,606,986,112.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $107,911,132,319,046,896.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $111,998,712,875,220,624.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $114,812,038,185,157,408.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $117,078,986,678,036,240.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $120,389,695,245,764,912.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $125,332,247,630,134,048.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $126,878,362,782,471,232.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $132,017,754,943,365,936.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $132,629,067,348,834,944.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $136,193,479,622,804,384.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $140,216,949,872,378,816.00 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $142,845,653,602,369,584.00 | 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 |