According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $5,739,145,642,661.32 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 $187,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $5,926,145,642,661.32 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 $187,000,000,000 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 | $187,000,000,000.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $193,861,661,746.10 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $201,827,498,945.59 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $211,449,599,325.18 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $220,361,872,627.58 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $228,169,970,476.59 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $235,031,632,222.69 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $241,262,336,566.85 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $247,019,822,859.55 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $252,067,482,075.07 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $258,219,316,743.99 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $269,655,419,654.15 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $288,663,011,387.60 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $306,172,079,291.44 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $327,309,152,256.43 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $348,130,746,520.46 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $370,608,603,964.57 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $382,596,794,601.43 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $397,424,293,547.03 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $434,414,171,235.77 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $486,783,635,596.79 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $533,080,134,964.15 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $584,029,945,170.81 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $633,323,492,197.39 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $691,923,660,902.57 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $767,717,418,810.63 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $850,215,099,114.30 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $948,881,062,842.68 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $1,031,378,743,146.35 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $1,095,578,658,793.76 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $1,163,879,797,553.77 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $1,251,267,397,722.48 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $1,334,317,165,752.85 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $1,421,468,156,895.82 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $1,530,308,308,730.49 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $1,669,197,806,832.56 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $1,814,948,966,680.73 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $1,948,790,805,567.27 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $2,065,044,706,874.74 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $2,163,552,931,252.64 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $2,260,483,762,125.69 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $2,339,984,394,770.14 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $2,405,209,616,195.70 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $2,482,580,767,608.60 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $2,569,258,540,700.13 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $2,673,524,251,370.73 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $2,796,639,814,424.29 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $2,928,273,302,404.05 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $3,045,946,857,865.88 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $3,179,788,696,752.43 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $3,314,024,884,015.18 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $3,446,920,286,798.82 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $3,599,373,002,952.34 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $3,732,777,903,838.04 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $3,851,184,158,582.88 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $3,982,653,597,638.13 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $4,103,863,669,337.83 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $4,254,238,958,245.47 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $4,358,928,199,072.12 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $4,463,076,393,926.61 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $4,580,574,858,709.40 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $4,754,083,412,062.42 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $4,873,502,353,437.37 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $4,969,728,878,110.50 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $5,110,260,442,851.12 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $5,320,060,877,266.98 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $5,385,689,122,733.02 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $5,603,845,010,544.07 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $5,629,793,133,698.86 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $5,781,094,352,593.84 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $5,926,145,642,661.32 | 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 |