According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,141.92% higher in 2026 versus 1955 (a $1,300,756,604,842,393.75 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 5.02% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $41,400,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $1,342,156,604,842,393.75 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.58% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1955: Pricing changed by 2.34%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1955-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.28%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $41,400,000,000,000 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 | $41,400,000,000,000.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $42,913,019,643,672.92 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $44,671,904,979,442.67 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $46,809,045,226,130.65 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $48,775,970,762,905.43 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $50,497,030,607,583.37 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $52,028,962,996,802.20 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $53,409,593,421,653.72 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $54,676,747,373,229.79 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $55,792,599,360,438.56 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $57,154,317,039,744.17 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $59,688,624,942,896.30 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $63,887,254,454,088.62 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $67,764,367,291,000.45 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $72,454,728,186,386.47 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $77,050,525,354,042.92 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $82,043,490,178,163.55 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $84,691,274,554,591.16 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $87,963,179,534,033.80 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $96,152,398,355,413.42 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $107,745,911,375,057.09 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $117,996,619,460,941.06 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $129,268,615,806,304.23 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $140,181,269,986,295.14 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $153,155,413,430,790.31 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $169,931,018,730,013.69 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $188,200,730,927,364.09 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $210,044,952,032,891.72 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $228,295,751,484,696.19 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $242,518,136,135,221.56 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $257,629,419,826,404.75 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $276,977,158,519,872.09 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $295,360,347,190,498.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $314,651,347,647,327.56 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $338,727,272,727,272.75 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $369,479,396,984,924.56 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $401,744,540,886,249.44 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $431,361,900,411,146.75 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $457,102,147,099,132.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $478,908,542,713,567.75 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $500,355,596,162,631.25 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $517,963,362,265,874.81 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $532,393,787,117,405.19 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $549,528,734,582,000.88 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $568,706,258,565,555.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $591,779,808,131,566.88 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $619,033,074,463,225.25 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $648,177,615,349,474.50 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $674,220,465,966,194.50 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $703,856,738,236,637.75 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $733,568,661,489,264.38 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $762,977,980,813,156.63 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $796,726,451,347,647.25 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $826,255,866,605,756.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $852,465,338,510,735.63 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $881,566,190,954,774.13 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $908,396,190,041,114.50 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $941,682,054,819,552.13 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $964,855,274,554,591.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $987,908,587,482,869.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $1,013,917,016,902,695.25 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $1,052,323,318,410,233.13 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $1,078,756,906,349,931.50 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $1,100,056,818,638,648.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $1,131,163,746,002,741.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $1,177,603,236,180,904.50 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $1,192,130,305,162,174.50 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $1,240,419,272,727,272.75 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $1,246,163,073,549,566.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $1,279,653,763,362,265.75 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $1,317,457,693,924,166.25 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $1,342,156,604,842,393.75 | 1.87%* |
* 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 | 580.498 | 591.381 |