Best Hospitals in Montana 2026
Montana has 63 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $13K. The top-rated hospital is St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula with a 5-star CMS rating.
63 Montana hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Northern Montana Hospital is the lowest at $8,476; Billings Clinic Broadwater the highest at $17,620. 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 Montana's 63 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $13K, below the national average of $16K. 17% ofMontana's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 32% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Montana range from Northern Montana Hospital at $8K per procedure to Billings Clinic Broadwater at $18K — a difference of $9K 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 Montana
St. Patrick Hospital
Missoula, MT
Montana's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $12K per procedure. Outcome score: 66/100.
Va Montana Healthcare System
Fort Harrison, MT
Second-best in Montana. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 50/100. Average procedure payment: $16K.
Sidney Health Center
Sidney, MT
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 80/100. Lists 18 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 63 Hospitals in Montana
| # | Hospital | City | Quality | Avg Payment | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Patrick Hospital | Missoula | ★★★★★ | $12K | A |
| 2 | Va Montana Healthcare System | Fort Harrison | ★★★★★ | $16K | B |
| 3 | Sidney Health Center | Sidney | ★★★★★ | $14K | A |
| 4 | Intermountain Health St Vincent Regional Hospital | Billings | ★★★★☆ | $15K | B |
| 5 | Billings Clinic | Billings | ★★★★☆ | $10K | B |
| 6 | Logan Health - Whitefish | Whitefish | ★★★★☆ | $13K | B |
| 7 | Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital | Bozeman | ★★★★☆ | $13K | B |
| 8 | Bitterroot Health - Daly Hospital | Hamilton | ★★★★☆ | $12K | B |
| 9 | St Peters Health | Helena | ★★★★☆ | $14K | B |
| 10 | Logan Health Medical Center | Kalispell | ★★★★☆ | $10K | B |
| 11 | Community Medical Center | Missoula | ★★★★☆ | $14K | B |
| 12 | Great Falls Clinic Hospital | Great Falls | ★★★☆☆ | $16K | C |
| 13 | Community Hospital Of Anaconda | Anaconda | ★★★☆☆ | $13K | B |
| 14 | St James Hospital | Butte | ★★☆☆☆ | $15K | C |
| 15 | Benefis Hospitals Inc | Great Falls | ★★☆☆☆ | $12K | C |
| 16 | Livingston Healthcare | Livingston | ★☆☆☆☆ | $11K | C |
| 17 | Billings Clinic Broadwater | Townsend | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $18K | C |
| 18 | Clark Fork Valley Hospital | Plains | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 19 | Logan Health - Shelby | Shelby | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 20 | Northern Rockies Medical Center | Cut Bank | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $16K | C |
Hospital quality and cost data for Montana is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula is the top-rated hospital in Montana with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $12K. Its Value Score is 86/100 (Grade A).
Montana has 63 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $13K, and 32% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Montana's average procedure payment of $13K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $8K at Northern Montana Hospital to $18K at Billings Clinic Broadwater — a gap of $9K per procedure.
Of 63 hospitals analyzed in Montana, 11 (17%) 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%).