Executive summary
This report tracks healthcare costs through Sep 2025, including medical services, prescription drugs, and hospital care. Data is sourced from BLS and CMS.
Medical care inflation
The BLS medical care index tracks price changes for medical services, commodities, and health insurance. Medical care inflation tends to run above general inflation, though the rate varies by component. Physician services and hospital care are the largest weighted components. Prescription drug prices showed mixed trends, with some generics declining while specialty drugs continued to increase.
Prescription drugs
Drug pricing remains complex and opaque. List prices often differ significantly from net prices after rebates. Generic drug prices remained relatively stable, while brand-name and specialty drugs continued to see increases. Medicare Part D negotiations, authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, began affecting prices for a limited set of drugs.
Out-of-pocket costs
Even with insurance, out-of-pocket costs — deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance — represent a significant burden for many households. High-deductible health plans shift more costs to consumers. This report does not provide medical advice; it presents publicly available cost data in an educational context.
Monthly data table
| Month | Health CPI (% YoY) |
|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 3.9% |
| Feb 25 | 4.0% |
| Mar 25 | 4.3% |
| Apr 25 | 4.1% |
| May 25 | 3.9% |
| Jun 25 | 3.9% |
| Jul 25 | 4.4% |
| Aug 25 | 4.2% |
| Sep 25 | 4.2% |
| Oct 25 | 4.6% |
| Nov 25 | 4.5% |
| Dec 25 | 4.6% |
| Jan 26 | 4.5% |
| Feb 26 | 4.5% |
| Mar 26 | 4.4% |
| Apr 26 | 4.6% |
| May 26 | 4.4% |
| Jun 26 | 4.9% |
| Jul 26 | 4.8% |
Methodology
The Consumer Price Index measures the average change over time in prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of goods and services. TALLY Insights presents this data in an accessible format. Full methodology details are available on our methodology page.