Historical data · sourced snapshots
Healthcare Inflation History: Medical Care CPI
The medical care index covers physician and hospital services, health insurance, prescription drugs, and medical equipment. It is published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of CPI-U. Since 1971 it has risen faster than almost every other major category, multiplying more than sixteen times against roughly eight times for overall CPI.
Historical chart
1971 to 2026
The BLS medical care price index, covering services, insurance, drugs, and equipment, at decade snapshots.
| Period | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 35.9 | Medical care CPI snapshot |
| 1980 | 74.9 | Medical cost inflation rises |
| 1990 | 162.8 | Insurance costs climb |
| 2000 | 260.8 | Managed-care era baseline |
| 2010 | 391.5 | Premium burden grows |
| 2020 | 520.2 | Family cost pressure |
| 2026 | 592.9 | Medical care CPI, 2026-08 |
What the numbers mean
Reading the healthcare inflation history
Medical inflation is unusual in that it rarely falls and is less sensitive to recessions than food or energy. The one notable exception was 2023, when a methodology change for health insurance briefly pulled the index down before it resumed climbing.
Related pages
Tuition inflation · Grocery inflation · How to read CPI
Sourced snapshots are rounded; the latest point is refreshed by a scheduled data update and carries its observation date. Methodology · Report a correction.
Questions
Healthcare inflation history FAQ
Why has healthcare inflation been so persistent?
An aging population, new treatments, administrative costs, and limited price competition all push in the same direction, and demand for care does not fall much when prices rise.
Does this measure what patients pay out of pocket?
It measures the prices of medical goods and services, with insurance premiums included as a separate component. It does not measure any one household’s bills.
Why did the index dip in 2023?
BLS changed how it estimates health insurance prices, which produced a temporary decline in that component. The underlying trend for services and drugs continued upward.