Published April 5, 2026 · Updated annually
Most Expensive Hospitals in America (and Cheapest)
The most expensive hospitals in America charge up to 10 times more than the cheapest facilities for the same procedures. Using CMS Medicare payment data from 5,426 hospitals, we rank facilities by average payment to reveal the extreme pricing spread in American healthcare.
Most Expensive Hospitals
| Rank | Hospital | State | Avg Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coast Plaza Hospital | CA | $31,158 |
| 2 | Hudson Regional Hospital | NJ | $28,615 |
| 3 | St John's Episcopal Hospital At South Shore | NY | $27,501 |
| 4 | San Dimas Community Hospital | CA | $29,673 |
| 5 | The University Of Vermont Health Network-Alice Hy | NY | $29,297 |
| 6 | Highland Hospital | CA | $26,961 |
| 7 | Carewell Health Medical Center | NJ | $29,842 |
| 8 | Garfield Medical Center | CA | $26,629 |
| 9 | Fairchild Medical Center | CA | $27,801 |
| 10 | Adventist Health Bakersfield | CA | $26,318 |
| 11 | Community Regional Medical Center | CA | $23,466 |
| 12 | Memorial Hospital Of Gardena | CA | $26,354 |
| 13 | Rochester General Hospital | NY | $26,601 |
| 14 | Highland Hospital | NY | $25,385 |
| 15 | Baystate Noble Hospital | MA | $30,608 |
Most Affordable Hospitals
| Hospital | State | Avg Payment |
|---|---|---|
| University Of Colorado Hospital Authority | CO | $8,598 |
| Fairview Hospital | OH | $11,684 |
| Rex Hospital | NC | $10,102 |
| St Louis-John Cochran Va Medical Center | MO | $9,039 |
| Lancaster General Hospital | PA | $11,882 |
| Detroit (john D. Dingell) Va Medical Center | MI | $9,372 |
| University Of Kansas Hospital | KS | $11,921 |
| Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital | TX | $14,398 |
| Cincinnati Va Medical Center | OH | $11,021 |
| Mayo Clinic Hospital | AZ | $14,580 |
The 10x Pricing Gap
The gap between the most and least expensive hospitals for the same procedure is staggering. A joint replacement that costs $15,000 at one hospital can cost $150,000 at another — even within the same state. This is not because the expensive hospital delivers 10x better outcomes. Research consistently shows that hospital pricing has little correlation with quality metrics.
What Drives the Gap
- Market concentration — Hospitals with little local competition set higher prices
- Negotiating power — Large hospital systems negotiate higher insurance reimbursement rates
- Cost shifting — Hospitals raise private-pay prices to offset lower Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements
- For-profit vs. non-profit — For-profit hospitals tend to charge more, though non-profits are not always cheaper
Compare any two hospitals on HospitalCosts to see how their pricing differs for specific procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hospital pricing reflects market power, not quality. Hospitals with dominant market share, for-profit ownership, or prestigious branding charge more. Research shows minimal correlation between price and patient outcomes.
Not necessarily. Studies show that hospital pricing does not correlate well with quality of care. Some of the most affordable hospitals achieve excellent patient outcomes, while some expensive hospitals have mediocre quality scores.
Search our database by procedure name to see pricing at every hospital that performs it. You can filter by state and sort by cost. Our Best Value ranking identifies hospitals with the best combination of low cost and high quality.
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