According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 2,354.71% higher in 2026 versus 1963 (a $11,773,559,322,033.90 difference in value).
Between 1963 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 5.21% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $500,000,000,000 in the year 1963 would cost $12,273,559,322,033.90 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.83% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1963: Pricing changed by 2.37%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1963-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1963 (1.24%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $500,000,000,000 beginning in 1963. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | $500,000,000,000.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $510,204,081,632.65 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $522,656,520,235.21 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $545,831,892,078.87 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $584,226,911,103.42 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $619,681,771,013.49 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $662,573,503,977.86 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $704,600,484,261.50 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $750,259,425,804.22 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $774,472,500,864.75 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $804,392,943,618.13 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $879,280,525,769.63 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $985,299,204,427.53 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,079,038,395,019.02 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,182,116,914,562.44 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $1,281,909,373,919.06 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $1,400,553,441,715.67 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $1,553,960,567,277.76 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $1,721,030,785,195.43 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $1,920,788,654,444.83 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $2,087,685,921,826.36 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $2,217,744,725,008.65 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $2,355,932,203,389.83 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $2,532,860,601,867.87 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $2,700,968,523,002.42 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $2,877,378,069,872.02 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $3,097,544,102,386.72 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $3,378,761,674,161.19 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $3,673,815,288,827.40 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $3,944,655,828,433.07 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $4,180,041,508,128.68 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $4,379,453,476,305.78 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $4,575,579,384,296.09 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $4,736,596,333,448.63 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $4,868,557,592,528.54 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $5,025,250,778,277.41 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $5,200,622,621,930.13 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $5,411,622,276,029.06 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $5,660,843,998,616.40 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $5,927,360,774,818.40 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $6,165,513,663,092.36 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $6,436,527,153,234.17 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $6,708,232,445,520.58 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $6,977,170,529,228.64 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $7,285,788,654,444.83 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $7,555,824,974,057.42 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $7,795,501,556,554.83 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $8,061,618,817,018.33 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $8,306,969,906,606.71 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $8,611,357,661,708.75 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $8,823,268,765,133.17 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $9,034,083,362,158.42 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $9,271,921,480,456.59 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $9,623,133,863,714.98 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $9,864,859,910,065.72 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $10,059,640,262,884.82 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $10,344,102,386,717.40 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $10,768,775,510,204.08 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $10,901,620,546,523.69 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $11,343,206,502,940.16 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $11,395,731,580,767.90 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $11,701,992,390,176.41 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $12,047,696,298,858.53 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $12,273,559,322,033.90 | 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 |