According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $36,828,742,091,944,328 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 $1,200,000,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $38,028,742,091,944,328 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 $1,200,000,000,000,000 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 | $1,200,000,000,000,000.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $1,244,032,053,985,660.00 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $1,295,149,725,854,069.75 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $1,356,895,824,546,605.00 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $1,414,086,883,171,657.25 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $1,464,192,323,913,960.25 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $1,508,224,377,899,620.25 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $1,548,207,507,380,851.75 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,585,153,943,483,762.00 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $1,617,545,339,519,190.00 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,657,022,353,437,368.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,730,409,110,080,134.75 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $1,852,382,960,776,043.75 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $1,964,740,615,773,935.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $2,100,379,586,672,290.25 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $2,233,994,095,318,431.00 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $2,378,237,030,788,697.00 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $2,455,166,596,372,838.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,550,316,322,226,908.00 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $2,787,684,521,299,029.50 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $3,123,745,255,166,596.50 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $3,420,835,090,679,038.50 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $3,747,785,744,411,640.50 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $4,064,107,971,320,118.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $4,440,151,834,668,916.00 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $4,926,528,890,763,391.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $5,455,925,769,717,418.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $6,089,076,339,097,427.00 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $6,618,473,218,051,455.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $7,030,451,286,377,055.00 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $7,468,747,363,981,443.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $8,029,523,407,844,790.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $8,562,463,095,740,195.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $9,121,720,792,914,382.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $9,820,160,269,928,300.00 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $10,711,429,776,465,626.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $11,646,731,336,988,610.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $12,505,609,447,490,508.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $13,251,623,787,431,464.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $13,883,762,125,685,364.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $14,505,778,152,678,196.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $15,015,942,640,236,186.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $15,434,500,210,881,484.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $15,930,999,578,237,030.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $16,487,220,582,032,896.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $17,156,305,356,389,706.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $17,946,351,750,316,318.00 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $18,791,058,625,052,720.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $19,546,183,045,128,636.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $20,405,061,155,630,536.00 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $21,266,469,843,947,700.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $22,119,274,567,692,952.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $23,097,580,767,608,600.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $23,953,654,997,891,184.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $24,713,481,231,547,868.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $25,557,135,385,913,112.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $26,334,954,027,836,356.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $27,299,929,143,821,172.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $27,971,731,758,751,576.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $28,640,062,420,919,440.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $29,394,063,264,445,380.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $30,507,487,136,229,436.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $31,273,811,893,715,732.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $31,891,308,308,730,492.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $32,793,115,141,290,600.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $34,139,428,089,413,748.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $34,560,571,910,586,244.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $35,960,502,741,459,296.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $36,127,014,761,703,920.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $37,097,931,674,398,984.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $38,028,742,091,944,328.00 | 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 |