Best Hospitals in Kentucky 2026
Kentucky has 102 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $14K. The top-rated hospital is Louisville Va Medical Center in Louisville with a 5-star CMS rating.
102 Kentucky hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Saint Joseph Hospital is the lowest at $8,111; Georgetown Community Hospital the highest at $18,738. The gap between the extremes is large enough to matter for any patient with elective scheduling.
Ranking interpretation: the rankings sort on the Medicare payment-per-procedure average, weighted equally across DRG codes. That makes them most useful as a cost-comparison starting point — the LakeQuality value grade layered on top combines this cost data with CMS Hospital Compare quality measures, which is usually the more decision-useful number. For patients comparing hospital costs, the ranking is a useful first cut, but the procedure-specific page is the better tool: cost spreads vary by DRG code, and the all-procedure average can hide important per-procedure differences.
Across Kentucky's 102 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $14K, below the national average of $16K. 15% ofKentucky's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 26% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Kentucky range from Saint Joseph Hospital at $8K per procedure to Georgetown Community Hospital at $19K — a difference of $11K on the same kinds of inpatient stays. Where you go for the same procedure can swing the bill by more than the procedure itself.
All numbers come from the latest CMS Hospital Compare release, which uses Medicare claims data and only reflects payments for Medicare inpatient stays — not what private insurers or self-pay patients actually pay. Star ratings combine seven groups of measures including mortality, patient safety, readmissions, and patient experience. Lower-priced hospitals can still earn an A on the Value Score if their quality stays competitive.
Top 3 Hospitals in Kentucky
Louisville Va Medical Center
Louisville, KY
Kentucky's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $13K per procedure. Outcome score: 60/100.
Baptist Health Paducah
Paducah, KY
Second-best in Kentucky. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 50/100. Average procedure payment: $15K.
University Of Kentucky Hospital
Lexington, KY
Third on quality + outcomes. 4-star CMS rating; Value Score 80/100. Lists 14 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 102 Hospitals in Kentucky
| # | Hospital | City | Quality | Avg Payment | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville Va Medical Center | Louisville | ★★★★★ | $13K | A |
| 2 | Baptist Health Paducah | Paducah | ★★★★★ | $15K | B |
| 3 | University Of Kentucky Hospital | Lexington | ★★★★☆ | $11K | A |
| 4 | Baptist Health Lexington | Lexington | ★★★★☆ | $13K | B |
| 5 | St Elizabeth Edgewood | Edgewood | ★★★★☆ | $12K | B |
| 6 | Clark Regional Medical Center | Winchester | ★★★★☆ | $18K | B |
| 7 | Baptist Health Corbin | Corbin | ★★★★☆ | $15K | B |
| 8 | Lexington Va Medical Center | Lexington | ★★★★☆ | $13K | B |
| 9 | St Claire Regional Medical Center | Morehead | ★★★★☆ | $12K | B |
| 10 | St Elizabeth Florence | Florence | ★★★★☆ | $11K | B |
| 11 | Bourbon Community Hospital | Paris | ★★★★☆ | $17K | B |
| 12 | Meadowview Regional Medical Center | Maysville | ★★★★☆ | $17K | B |
| 13 | Baptist Health Lagrange | La Grange | ★★★★☆ | $16K | B |
| 14 | Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital | Greenville | ★★★★☆ | $14K | B |
| 15 | Marcum And Wallace Memorial Hospital | Irvine | ★★★★☆ | $12K | B |
| 16 | Saint Joseph London | London | ★★★☆☆ | $15K | B |
| 17 | Georgetown Community Hospital | Georgetown | ★★★☆☆ | $19K | C |
| 18 | St Elizabeth Ft Thomas | Fort Thomas | ★★★☆☆ | $15K | C |
| 19 | Saint Joseph East | Lexington | ★★★☆☆ | $14K | B |
| 20 | T J Samson Community Hospital | Glasgow | ★★★☆☆ | $14K | B |
Hospital quality and cost data for Kentucky is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Louisville Va Medical Center in Louisville is the top-rated hospital in Kentucky with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $13K. Its Value Score is 83/100 (Grade A).
Kentucky has 102 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $14K, and 26% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Kentucky's average procedure payment of $14K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $8K at Saint Joseph Hospital to $19K at Georgetown Community Hospital — a gap of $11K per procedure.
Of 102 hospitals analyzed in Kentucky, 15 (15%) earn a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or better. CMS star ratings combine measures of mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timeliness, and effectiveness of care.
Hospitals are ranked first by CMS star quality rating (1-5 stars), then by outcome score, which reflects mortality rates, patient safety, and readmissions. The Value Score combines price percentile (40%, lower price = higher score), quality rating (40%), and outcome score (20%).
Hospitals ranked by CMS star quality rating and outcome score. Value Score: price percentile (40% inverted), quality rating (40%), outcome score (20%).