Best Hospitals in Maryland 2026
Maryland has 56 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $19K. The top-rated hospital is University Of Md St Joseph Medical Center in Towson with a 5-star CMS rating.
56 Maryland hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Medstar Saint Mary's Hospital is the lowest at $11,791; Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, Inc the highest at $26,086. The gap between the extremes is large enough to matter for any patient with elective scheduling.
These rankings are pure-cost rankings. The quality dimension lives in the CMS Hospital Compare star rating shown alongside each entry; the combined-value grade on the right of the table aggregates both. 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 Maryland's 56 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $19K, above the national average of $16K. 23% ofMaryland's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 20% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Maryland range from Medstar Saint Mary's Hospital at $12K per procedure to Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, Inc at $26K — a difference of $14K 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 Maryland
University Of Md St Joseph Medical Center
Towson, MD
Maryland's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $15K per procedure. Outcome score: 76/100.
Medstar Union Memorial Hospital
Baltimore, MD
Second-best in Maryland. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 76/100. Average procedure payment: $14K.
Calverthealth Medical Center
Prince Frederick, MD
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 69/100. Lists 14 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 56 Hospitals in Maryland
Hospital quality and cost data for Maryland is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, University Of Md St Joseph Medical Center in Towson is the top-rated hospital in Maryland with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $15K. Its Value Score is 84/100 (Grade A).
Maryland has 56 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $19K, and 20% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Maryland's average procedure payment of $19K is above the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $12K at Medstar Saint Mary's Hospital to $26K at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, Inc — a gap of $14K per procedure.
Of 56 hospitals analyzed in Maryland, 13 (23%) 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%).