According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,771.31% higher in 2026 versus 1950 (a $31,290,557,514.88 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 $829,700,000 in the year 1950 would cost $32,120,257,514.88 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 $829,700,000 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 | $829,700,000.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $869,035,281.15 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $916,603,528.11 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $949,078,004.41 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $978,350,771.78 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $1,001,220,121.28 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,037,811,080.49 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,080,348,070.56 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,132,032,800.44 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $1,179,601,047.41 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $1,221,223,263.51 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $1,258,271,609.70 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $1,291,660,859.98 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,322,305,788.31 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $1,349,291,620.73 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,382,223,484.01 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,443,513,340.68 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $1,545,053,252.48 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $1,638,817,585.45 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $1,752,249,558.99 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $1,863,394,597.57 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $1,984,144,762.95 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $2,048,178,941.57 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,127,306,890.85 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $2,325,355,457.55 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $2,605,733,682.47 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $2,853,637,431.09 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $3,126,240,077.18 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $3,390,152,370.45 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $3,703,919,845.64 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $4,109,622,105.84 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $4,551,457,938.26 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $5,079,739,911.80 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $5,521,118,357.22 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $5,865,073,373.76 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $6,230,525,578.83 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $6,698,432,469.68 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $7,143,012,624.04 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $7,609,547,353.91 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $8,191,800,992.28 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $8,935,512,238.15 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $9,715,814,443.22 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $10,432,082,469.68 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $11,054,586,163.18 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $11,581,953,362.73 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $12,100,630,209.48 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $12,526,457,497.24 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $12,875,443,770.67 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $13,289,836,383.68 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $13,753,626,791.62 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $14,311,638,919.51 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $14,970,733,572.22 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $15,675,566,923.93 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $16,305,388,809.26 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $17,022,114,222.71 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $17,740,669,184.12 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $18,451,905,953.69 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $19,268,081,020.40 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $19,982,222,197.35 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $20,616,073,662.07 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $21,319,850,449.83 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $21,968,708,781.70 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $22,773,696,162.62 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $23,334,118,719.96 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $23,891,641,443.77 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $24,520,630,884.79 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $25,449,451,219.40 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $26,088,722,719.96 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $26,603,841,095.92 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $27,356,132,921.72 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $28,479,228,380.37 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $28,830,551,901.32 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $29,998,375,233.74 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $30,137,283,662.62 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $30,947,224,544.65 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $31,828,316,546.86 | 2.85% |
| 2026 | $32,120,257,514.88 | 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 |