Best Hospitals in Tennessee 2026
Tennessee has 122 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $14K. The top-rated hospital is Mountain Home Va Medical Center in Mountain Home with a 5-star CMS rating.
122 Tennessee hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Roane Medical Center is the lowest at $8,217; Livingston Regional Hospital the highest at $23,938. 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 Tennessee's 122 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $14K, below the national average of $16K. 17% ofTennessee's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 31% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Tennessee range from Roane Medical Center at $8K per procedure to Livingston Regional Hospital at $24K — a difference of $16K 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 Tennessee
Mountain Home Va Medical Center
Mountain Home, TN
Tennessee's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $16K per procedure. Outcome score: 70/100.
Va Middle Tennessee Healthcare System
Nashville, TN
Second-best in Tennessee. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 70/100. Average procedure payment: $13K.
Baptist Memorial Hospital Union City
Union City, TN
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 80/100. Lists 15 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 122 Hospitals in Tennessee
Hospital quality and cost data for Tennessee is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Mountain Home Va Medical Center in Mountain Home is the top-rated hospital in Tennessee with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $16K. Its Value Score is 81/100 (Grade A).
Tennessee has 122 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $14K, and 31% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Tennessee's average procedure payment of $14K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $8K at Roane Medical Center to $24K at Livingston Regional Hospital — a gap of $16K per procedure.
Of 122 hospitals analyzed in Tennessee, 21 (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%).