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Vol. I, No. 13 Afternoon Edition

The Fed Gazette

A civic journal of money and credit

Live Federal Reserve rates, FOMC decisions, speeches, and Treasury data, with every figure copied from the agency that published it.

Prices and inflation

Medical Care Prices: CPI Medical Care Index Chart

The Consumer Price Index for medical care was 592.934 for August 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via GOVSPENDING.ORG.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index), via GOVSPENDING.ORG, CPIMEDSL, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: medical care, monthly · Published · Updated

The Consumer Price Index for medical care, with a chart, what changed since last month, and a plain explanation. The figure is an index level copied as published. This paper does not compute the annual rate.

  • Medical care 592.934 August 2026 Lower than the previous print

CPI Medical Care chart

Medical care over time

Monthly index level for medical care, seasonally adjusted, as published. Each point is a stored monthly print.

580585590595Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’26580585590595Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’26580585590595Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’26580585590595Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’26
52054056058060020222023202420252026520540560580600202220232024202520265205405605806002022202320242025202652054056058060020222023202420252026
45050055060020182020202220242026450500550600201820202022202420264505005506002018202020222024202645050055060020182020202220242026
020040060019501965198019952010202502004006001950196019701980199020002010202002004006001950196019701980199020002010202002004006001950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
  • Medical care 592.934 Aug 1, 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index), via GOVSPENDING.ORG, CPIMEDSL, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: medical care, monthly · as of · retrieved

More series in the data library
Data
Medical care over time, the last print of each calendar quarter (a sample of the plotted line)
PeriodMedical care
March 194713.3
June 194713.5
September 194713.7
December 194713.9
March 194814.1
June 194814.4
September 194814.5
December 194814.7
March 194914.8
June 194914.8
September 194914.9
December 194914.9
March 195014.9
June 195015
September 195015.2
December 195015.4
March 195115.7
June 195115.8
September 195115.9
December 195116.3
March 195216.5
June 195216.8
September 195216.9
December 195217
March 195317
June 195317.3
September 195317.5
December 195317.6
March 195417.7
June 195417.8
September 195417.9
December 195418
March 195518.1
June 195518.2
September 195518.3
December 195518.6
March 195618.7
June 195618.8
September 195619.1
December 195619.2
March 195719.4
June 195719.7
September 195719.8
December 195720.1
March 195820.3
June 195820.6
September 195820.9
December 195821.1
March 195921.3
June 195921.5
September 195921.7
December 195921.8
March 196022.1
June 196022.2
September 196022.4
December 196022.6
March 196122.7
June 196122.9
September 196123.1
December 196123.2
March 196223.4
June 196223.5
September 196223.6
December 196223.8
March 196323.9
June 196324.1
September 196324.2
December 196324.3
March 196424.4
June 196424.6
September 196424.7
December 196424.8
March 196525
June 196525.1
September 196525.3
December 196525.5
March 196625.8
June 196626.1
September 196626.7
December 196627.2
March 196727.6
June 196728.1
September 196728.5
December 196729
March 196829.4
June 196829.7
September 196830.2
December 196830.8
March 196931.4
June 196931.9
September 196932.5
December 196932.6
March 197033.2
June 197033.9
September 197034.5
December 197035.1
March 197135.6
June 197136.2
September 197136.7
December 197136.7
March 197237
June 197237.3
September 197237.4
December 197237.9
March 197338.2
June 197338.6
September 197338.9
December 197339.9
March 197440.7
June 197442.1
September 197443.7
December 197444.8
March 197546.3
June 197547.4
September 197548.5
December 197549.3
March 197650.7
June 197651.8
September 197653
December 197654.2
March 197755.5
June 197757
September 197758.2
December 197759
March 197860.2
June 197861.5
September 197862.8
December 197864.1
March 197965.7
June 197967.1
September 197968.7
December 197970.6
March 198073
June 198074.7
September 198076.3
December 198077.8
March 198179.9
June 198182.3
September 198185.1
December 198187.5
March 198289.6
June 198292.2
September 198294.7
December 198297.2
March 198399
June 1983100.4
September 1983101.8
December 1983103.4
March 1984105.2
June 1984106.7
September 1984108.1
December 1984109.8
March 1985111.4
June 1985113.3
September 1985115.2
December 1985117.1
March 1986119.7
June 1986121.8
September 1986124
December 1986126.2
March 1987127.8
June 1987130
September 1987131.9
December 1987133.5
March 1988135.8
June 1988138.3
September 1988140.5
December 1988142.7
March 1989145.8
June 1989148.6
September 1989151.8
December 1989154.9
March 1990158.3
June 1990162
September 1990165.9
December 1990169.8
March 1991173.2
June 1991176.4
September 1991179.9
December 1991183.1
March 1992186.8
June 1992189.6
September 1992192.4
December 1992195.3
March 1993198.1
June 1993201.3
September 1993203.6
December 1993205.8
March 1994207.9
June 1994210.5
September 1994213.1
December 1994215.9
March 1995218.1
June 1995219.9
September 1995222.4
December 1995224.3
March 1996226.2
June 1996228
September 1996229.7
December 1996231.2
March 1997233
June 1997234.4
September 1997235.5
December 1997237.8
March 1998239.4
June 1998241.8
September 1998244.1
December 1998245.9
March 1999247.9
June 1999250
September 1999252.5
December 1999254.9
March 2000257.7
June 2000260.3
September 2000263.3
December 2000265.6
March 2001269.4
June 2001272.4
September 2001275.2
December 2001278.2
March 2002281.4
June 2002284.6
September 2002288.1
December 2002292.1
March 2003293.4
June 2003296.1
September 2003299.8
December 2003303
March 2004306.5
June 2004309.8
September 2004312.9
December 2004315.8
March 2005319.7
June 2005322.8
September 2005325.3
December 2005329.2
March 2006332.6
June 2006336
September 2006339.1
December 2006341.2
March 2007345.899
June 2007349.513
September 2007354.531
December 2007358.908
March 2008361.533
June 2008363.671
September 2008365.841
December 2008368.748
March 2009371.705
June 2009375.177
September 2009378.359
December 2009381.111
March 2010385.712
June 2010388.188
September 2010391.288
December 2010393.514
March 2011396.29
June 2011399.416
September 2011402.202
December 2011407.23
March 2012410.257
June 2012415.289
September 2012418.453
December 2012420.321
March 2013423.089
June 2013424.286
September 2013428.29
December 2013428.622
March 2014432.211
June 2014435.187
September 2014437.091
December 2014441.464
March 2015442.943
June 2015446.33
September 2015447.648
December 2015452.732
March 2016457.723
June 2016462.09
September 2016469.816
December 2016470.539
March 2017473.685
June 2017474.492
September 2017477.19
December 2017478.891
March 2018483.078
June 2018486.209
September 2018485.039
December 2018488.82
March 2019491.412
June 2019495.745
September 2019501.71
December 2019510.875
March 2020514.743
June 2020520.867
September 2020522.947
December 2020519.866
March 2021524.024
June 2021523.099
September 2021524.874
December 2021531.045
March 2022539.05
June 2022546.741
September 2022556.309
December 2022552.002
March 2023547.138
June 2023547.299
September 2023548.398
December 2023554.406
March 2024559.269
June 2024564.997
September 2024566.256
December 2024570.11
March 2025574.069
June 2025580.527
September 2025584.872
December 2025588.092
March 2026591.587
June 2026592.283
August 2026592.934
Cite this

Cite the agency first. This paper is the place you read the figure, as of August 2026.

  • APA U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. (2026, August 1). CPIMEDSL, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: medical care, monthly [Data set]. https://govspending.org/series/CPIMEDSL/ Retrieved October 9, 2026, via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/cpi-medical-care/#chart-cpi-medical-care-0
  • MLA U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. “CPIMEDSL, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: medical care, monthly.” CPIMEDSL, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: medical care, monthly, data as of 1 Aug. 2026, https://govspending.org/series/CPIMEDSL/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026 via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/cpi-medical-care/#chart-cpi-medical-care-0.
  • Chicago U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. “CPIMEDSL, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: medical care, monthly.” Data as of August 1, 2026. https://govspending.org/series/CPIMEDSL/. Retrieved October 9, 2026 via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/cpi-medical-care/#chart-cpi-medical-care-0.

As of August 2026 · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index), via GOVSPENDING.ORG · CPIMEDSL, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: medical care, monthly · Index 1982-1984=100 · original series CPIMEDSL on FRED · Retrieved

CPI medical care index: what changed since the last print

The latest CPI medical care index print is 592.934 for August 2026, lower than the print before it, 594.393 for July 2026. About a year earlier, for August 2025, it was 583.809, and the latest print is higher than that.

This paper says only whether the latest stored print is higher than, lower than, or the same as an earlier stored print, and prints both. It does not compute a difference or a percent.

PeriodMedical care
August 2026592.934
July 2026594.393
June 2026592.283
May 2026593.057
April 2026591.202
March 2026591.587
February 2026592.554
January 2026589.61
December 2025588.092
November 2025585.987
September 2025584.872
August 2025583.809

What the CPI medical care index is, in plain English

The medical care index is the part of the Consumer Price Index that tracks the prices urban consumers pay for health care. It covers medical care commodities, such as prescription drugs, and medical care services, such as doctor visits, hospital care, and health insurance.

Health care is a large and steady part of household budgets. Its prices tend to move more slowly than food or energy, so economists often read it as part of the underlying trend.

The index is published as a level, set so that the average of 1982 to 1984 is one hundred. The annual change that news reports quote is the percent difference between two levels. This paper does not compute it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics prints it in each release.

Index level
The published value of the index in a month. It has no unit of its own.
Seasonally adjusted
Smoothed for regular seasonal patterns, which is how this series is published.
Component
One part of the all-items Consumer Price Index.

CPI medical care index questions answered

What is the latest CPI medical care index?

The Consumer Price Index for medical care was 592.934 for August 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via GOVSPENDING.ORG.

What does the CPI for medical care measure?

It measures the change in the prices urban consumers pay for medical care: drugs, doctor visits, hospital care, and health insurance.

Is this the inflation rate?

No. It is an index level. The inflation rate is the percent change in the level over a period, which this paper leaves to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How often does it update?

Monthly, with the Consumer Price Index release. The period for the latest print is shown beside the figure.

What does the as-of date mean?

It is the date the agency attached to the figure, and it is printed beside the figure. It can be earlier than today: a daily series is dated its business day, a weekly or monthly series is dated its week or month. The page also prints when this paper retrieved the file, so you can tell a late feed from a late print.

How do I cite a figure from this page?

Cite the agency first (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via GOVSPENDING.ORG). Then name The Fed Gazette as the place you read it. The Cite this panel on the page gives APA, MLA and Chicago lines built from the agency, the series name, the as-of date, the source URL and the date this paper retrieved the file.