---
title: "Medical Care CPI"
slug: medical-care-cpi
summary: "Over the 12 months to September 2026, medical care prices in the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index rose 1.5%, down from 3.3% in the 12 months before that."
category: "Prices"
unit: percent
frequency: monthly
direction: higher_is_worse
latest_value: 1.50357685100331
latest_period: "2026-09"
trend: unknown
trend_suppressed: "rate_of_change_series"
last_updated: "2026-10-14T00:00:00Z"
source: "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics"
measurement_basis: "Year-over-year percent change computed from the seasonally adjusted BLS Medical Care CPI (CUSR0000SAM); seasonally adjusted values may be revised"
source_url: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAM
canonical_html: https://americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/
citation_apa: "Kilburn, R. (2026). Medical Care CPI [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/"
citation_chicago: "Kilburn, Ross. 2026. \"Medical Care CPI.\" American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/."
citation_mla: "Kilburn, Ross. \"Medical Care CPI.\" American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/."
---

# Medical Care CPI

> Over the 12 months to September 2026, medical care prices in the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index rose 1.5%, down from 3.3% in the 12 months before that.

## Current Reading

As of September 2026, Medical Care CPI is **1.5%**.

## What Changed

- Medical care prices were 1.5% higher than a year earlier in September 2026, down from a rate of 3.3% in September 2025.
- The yearly rate edged down from 1.6% in August 2026, too small a move to call a turn.
- The lowest yearly rate since February 2024, on our seasonally adjusted measure.

## Recent Values

| Period | Value |
|--------|-------|
| 2026-09 | 1.5% |
| 2026-08 | 1.56% |
| 2026-07 | 1.7% |
| 2026-06 | 2.03% |
| 2026-05 | 2.59% |
| 2026-04 | 2.54% |
| 2026-03 | 3.05% |
| 2026-02 | 3.36% |
| 2026-01 | 3.19% |
| 2025-12 | 3.15% |
| 2025-11 | 2.9% |
| 2025-09 | 3.29% |

## Historical Context

- Peak since 2001: **5.99%** in September 2022
- Low since 2001: **-1.42%** in September 2023
- Pre-pandemic average (2015-01 – 2019-12): **2.75%**
- Post-pandemic average (2020-01 – 2024-12): **2.52%**

## Methodology

This indicator carries monthly observations and is interpreted as higher values indicate worse household conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Measurement basis: Year-over-year percent change computed from the seasonally adjusted BLS Medical Care CPI (CUSR0000SAM); seasonally adjusted values may be revised
Automation: collected automatically on the daily refresh pipeline, with no hand entry.

## Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — [https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAM](https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SAM)

Data retrieved: 2026-10-14T00:00:00Z

## Related Indicators

- [cpi-inflation-rate-all-items](https://americandefault.org/indicators/cpi-inflation-rate-all-items/)
- [healthcare-inflation-premium-medical-cpi-minus-overall-cpi](https://americandefault.org/indicators/healthcare-inflation-premium-medical-cpi-minus-overall-cpi/)
- [prescription-drug-cpi](https://americandefault.org/indicators/prescription-drug-cpi/)

## Machine-Readable Endpoints

- HTML page: https://americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/
- JSON: https://americandefault.org/api/indicators/medical-care-cpi.json
- CSV: https://americandefault.org/api/downloads/medical-care-cpi.csv
- BibTeX: https://americandefault.org/citations/medical-care-cpi.bib
- RIS: https://americandefault.org/citations/medical-care-cpi.ris

## Citation

**APA 7th**

    Kilburn, R. (2026). Medical Care CPI [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/

**Chicago (author-date)**

    Kilburn, Ross. 2026. "Medical Care CPI." American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/.

**MLA 9th**

    Kilburn, Ross. "Medical Care CPI." American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/medical-care-cpi/.

Use **American Default Research** as the institutional name in source lists, bibliographies, and press citations. **American Default** is the brand and URL form. **American Distress Index (ADI)** is the product name for the national composite score.