Best Hospitals in Massachusetts 2026
Massachusetts has 84 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $22K. The top-rated hospital is Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton with a 5-star CMS rating.
84 Massachusetts hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Holyoke Medical Center is the lowest at $12,869; St Vincent Hospital the highest at $32,576. 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 Massachusetts's 84 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $22K, above the national average of $16K. 26% ofMassachusetts's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 17% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Massachusetts range from Holyoke Medical Center at $13K per procedure to St Vincent Hospital at $33K — a difference of $20K 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 Massachusetts
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Newton, MA
Massachusetts's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $21K per procedure. Outcome score: 94/100.
Brigham And Women Faulkner Hospital
Jamaica Plain, MA
Second-best in Massachusetts. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 90/100. Average procedure payment: $16K.
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington
Burlington, MA
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 75/100. Lists 13 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 84 Hospitals in Massachusetts
Hospital quality and cost data for Massachusetts is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton is the top-rated hospital in Massachusetts with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $21K. Its Value Score is 78/100 (Grade B).
Massachusetts has 84 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $22K, and 17% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Massachusetts's average procedure payment of $22K is above the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $13K at Holyoke Medical Center to $33K at St Vincent Hospital — a gap of $20K per procedure.
Of 84 hospitals analyzed in Massachusetts, 22 (26%) 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%).