According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,771.31% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $3,922,162,205,071.66 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2026: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.93% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $104,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $4,026,162,205,071.66 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.48% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1950: Pricing changed by 1.85%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1950-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.09%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $104,000,000,000 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $104,000,000,000.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $108,930,540,242.56 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $114,893,054,024.26 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $118,963,616,317.53 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $122,632,855,567.81 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $125,499,448,732.08 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $130,085,997,794.93 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $135,417,861,080.49 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $141,896,361,631.75 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $147,858,875,413.45 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $153,076,074,972.44 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $157,719,955,898.57 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $161,905,181,918.41 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $165,746,416,758.54 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $169,128,996,692.39 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $173,256,890,848.95 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $180,939,360,529.22 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $193,667,034,178.61 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $205,420,066,152.15 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $219,638,368,246.97 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $233,570,011,025.36 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $248,705,622,932.75 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $256,732,083,792.72 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $266,650,496,141.12 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $291,475,192,943.77 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $326,619,625,137.82 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $357,693,495,038.59 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $391,863,285,556.78 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $424,943,770,672.55 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $464,273,428,886.44 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $515,126,791,620.73 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $570,509,371,554.58 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $636,727,673,649.39 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $692,052,921,719.96 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $735,166,482,910.69 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $780,974,641,675.85 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $839,625,137,816.98 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $895,351,708,930.54 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $953,830,209,481.81 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $1,026,813,671,444.32 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $1,120,035,281,146.64 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $1,217,843,439,911.80 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $1,307,625,137,816.98 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $1,385,653,803,748.62 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $1,451,757,442,116.87 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $1,516,771,775,082.69 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $1,570,147,739,801.54 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $1,613,891,951,488.42 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $1,665,834,619,625.14 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $1,723,969,128,996.69 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $1,793,914,002,205.07 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $1,876,529,217,199.56 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $1,964,877,618,522.60 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $2,043,823,594,266.81 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $2,133,662,624,035.28 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $2,223,730,981,256.89 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $2,312,882,028,665.93 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $2,415,186,725,468.58 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $2,504,701,830,209.48 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $2,584,152,899,669.24 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $2,672,368,864,388.09 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $2,753,700,992,282.25 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $2,854,603,351,708.93 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $2,924,850,363,836.82 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $2,994,733,891,951.49 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $3,073,575,523,704.52 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $3,189,999,911,797.13 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $3,270,130,363,836.83 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $3,334,698,654,906.29 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $3,428,995,810,363.84 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $3,569,771,907,386.99 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $3,613,809,084,895.26 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $3,760,191,664,829.11 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $3,777,603,351,708.93 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $3,879,126,615,214.99 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $3,989,568,423,373.76 | 2.85% |
| 2026 | $4,026,162,205,071.66 | 0.92%* |
* 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 | 579.894 | 585.213 |