Avera St Lukes vs Iowa City Va Medical Center
Side-by-side hospital cost and quality comparison from CMS Medicare data
Avera St Lukes is in South Dakota; Iowa City Va Medical Center is in Iowa. Cross-state comparisons need to account for the Medicare wage-index adjustment, which can move payments by 30% between high-cost-of-living states and low-cost-of-living ones, before any hospital-specific factors enter. Average payments are close: $10,445 vs $10,668, only 2% apart. With cost close to tied, the quality measures do most of the work in the value-rubric comparison. Iowa City Va Medical Center comes out slightly ahead.
With costs this close, the choice between these two hospitals turns on the quality measure set, geographic convenience, or insurance-network status rather than payment-per-procedure differences.
Verdict
Iowa City Va Medical Center earns a higher Value Score of 88/100 (A) compared to Avera St Lukes at 86/100 (A). Average Medicare payment differs by $223 ($10,445 vs $10,668). Iowa City Va Medical Center holds a 5-star CMS rating.
| Metric | Avera St Lukes | Iowa City Va Medical Center |
|---|---|---|
| Value Score Composite of price, quality, and outcomes | 86/100 (A) | 88/100 (A)* |
| CMS Quality Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Avg Payment Average Medicare payment across all procedures | $10,445* | $10,668 |
| Outcome Score | 50/100 | 60/100* |
| Emergency Services | Yes | Yes |
| Hospital Type | Acute Care Hospitals | Acute Care - Veterans Administration |
| Ownership | Voluntary non-profit - Church | Veterans Health Administration |
| Location | Aberdeen, SD | Iowa City, IA |
| Procedures Tracked | 9 | 10 |
Iowa City Va Medical Center earns a higher Value Score of 88/100 (A) compared to Avera St Lukes at 86/100 (A). Average Medicare payment differs by $223 ($10,445 vs $10,668). Iowa City Va Medical Center holds a 5-star CMS rating.
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Source: CMS Hospital Price Transparency, 2026.