Avera St Lukes vs Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center
Side-by-side hospital cost and quality comparison from CMS Medicare data
Avera St Lukes is in South Dakota; Mercyone Dubuque 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 $11,438, only 9% apart. With cost close to tied, the quality measures do most of the work in the value-rubric comparison. Mercyone Dubuque 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
Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center earns a higher Value Score of 87/100 (A) compared to Avera St Lukes at 86/100 (A). Average Medicare payment differs by $993 ($10,445 vs $11,438). Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center holds a 5-star CMS rating.
| Metric | Avera St Lukes | Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center |
|---|---|---|
| Value Score Composite of price, quality, and outcomes | 86/100 (A) | 87/100 (A)* |
| CMS Quality Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Avg Payment Average Medicare payment across all procedures | $10,445* | $11,438 |
| Outcome Score | 50/100 | 66/100* |
| Emergency Services | Yes | Yes |
| Hospital Type | Acute Care Hospitals | Acute Care Hospitals |
| Ownership | Voluntary non-profit - Church | Voluntary non-profit - Church |
| Location | Aberdeen, SD | Dubuque, IA |
| Procedures Tracked | 9 | 11 |
Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center earns a higher Value Score of 87/100 (A) compared to Avera St Lukes at 86/100 (A). Average Medicare payment differs by $993 ($10,445 vs $11,438). Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center holds a 5-star CMS rating.
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Source: CMS Hospital Price Transparency, 2026.