According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $646,958,236,081.82 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 $21,080,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $668,038,236,081.82 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 $21,080,000,000 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 | $21,080,000,000.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $21,853,496,415.01 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $22,751,463,517.50 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $23,836,136,651.20 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $24,840,792,914.38 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $25,720,978,490.09 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $26,494,474,905.10 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $27,196,845,212.99 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $27,845,870,940.53 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $28,414,879,797.55 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $29,108,359,342.05 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $30,397,520,033.74 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $32,540,194,010.97 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $34,513,943,483.76 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $36,896,668,072.54 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $39,243,829,607.76 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $41,777,697,174.19 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $43,129,093,209.62 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $44,800,556,727.12 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $48,970,324,757.49 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $54,873,791,649.09 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $60,092,669,759.60 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $65,836,102,910.16 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $71,392,830,029.52 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $77,998,667,229.02 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $86,542,690,847.74 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $95,842,429,354.70 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $106,964,774,356.81 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $116,264,512,863.77 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $123,501,594,264.02 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $131,200,995,360.61 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $141,051,961,197.81 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $150,413,935,048.50 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $160,238,228,595.53 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $172,507,482,075.07 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $188,164,116,406.58 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $204,594,247,153.10 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $219,681,872,627.58 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $232,786,857,865.88 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $243,891,421,341.21 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $254,818,169,548.71 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $263,780,059,046.82 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $271,132,720,371.15 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $279,854,559,257.70 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $289,625,508,224.38 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $301,379,097,427.25 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $315,257,579,080.56 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $330,096,263,180.09 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $343,361,282,159.43 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $358,448,907,633.91 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $373,580,986,925.35 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $388,561,923,239.14 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $405,747,502,150.99 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $420,785,872,796.29 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $434,133,486,967.52 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $448,953,678,279.21 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $462,617,359,088.99 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $479,568,755,293.13 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $491,370,087,895.40 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $503,110,429,860.82 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $516,355,711,345.42 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $535,914,857,359.76 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $549,376,628,932.94 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $560,223,982,623.37 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $576,065,722,648.67 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $599,715,953,437.37 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $607,114,046,562.63 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $631,706,164,824.97 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $634,631,225,980.60 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $651,686,999,746.94 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $668,038,236,081.82 | 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 |