Best Hospitals in Washington 2026
Washington has 100 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $18K. The top-rated hospital is Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle with a 5-star CMS rating.
100 Washington hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Mason General Hospital & Family Of Clinics is the lowest at $11,679; Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital the highest at $26,870. 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 Washington's 100 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $18K, above the national average of $16K. 23% ofWashington's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 23% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Washington range from Mason General Hospital & Family Of Clinics at $12K per procedure to Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital at $27K — a difference of $15K 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 Washington
Virginia Mason Medical Center
Seattle, WA
Washington's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $17K per procedure. Outcome score: 92/100.
Seattle Va Medical Center (va Puget Sound Healthcare System)
Seattle, WA
Second-best in Washington. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 78/100. Average procedure payment: $23K.
Swedish Issaquah
Issaquah, WA
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 74/100. Lists 16 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 100 Hospitals in Washington
| # | Hospital | City | Quality | Avg Payment | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Mason Medical Center | Seattle | ★★★★★ | $17K | A |
| 2 | Seattle Va Medical Center (va Puget Sound Healthcare System) | Seattle | ★★★★★ | $23K | B |
| 3 | Swedish Issaquah | Issaquah | ★★★★★ | $20K | B |
| 4 | Evergreenhealth Medical Center | Kirkland | ★★★★★ | $21K | B |
| 5 | Multicare Valley Hospital | Spokane Valley | ★★★★★ | $20K | B |
| 6 | St Clare Hospital | Lakewood | ★★★★★ | $19K | B |
| 7 | Island Hospital | Anacortes | ★★★★★ | $16K | B |
| 8 | Prosser Memorial Hospital | Prosser | ★★★★★ | $16K | B |
| 9 | Spokane Va Medical Center | Spokane | ★★★★★ | $15K | B |
| 10 | Peacehealth Southwest Medical Center | Vancouver | ★★★★☆ | $16K | B |
| 11 | St Joseph Medical Center | Tacoma | ★★★★☆ | $19K | B |
| 12 | St Anthony Hospital | Gig Harbor | ★★★★☆ | $21K | C |
| 13 | St Joseph Hospital | Bellingham | ★★★★☆ | $17K | B |
| 14 | Confluence Health Hospital | Wenatchee | ★★★★☆ | $16K | B |
| 15 | Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill | Seattle | ★★★★☆ | $17K | B |
| 16 | Providence Centralia Hospital | Centralia | ★★★★☆ | $17K | B |
| 17 | Capital Medical Center | Olympia | ★★★★☆ | $17K | B |
| 18 | Swedish Medical Center | Seattle | ★★★★☆ | $16K | B |
| 19 | Harrison Medical Center | Silverdale | ★★★★☆ | $21K | C |
| 20 | Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center | Vancouver | ★★★★☆ | $13K | B |
Hospital quality and cost data for Washington is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle is the top-rated hospital in Washington with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $17K. Its Value Score is 84/100 (Grade A).
Washington has 100 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $18K, and 23% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Washington's average procedure payment of $18K is above the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $12K at Mason General Hospital & Family Of Clinics to $27K at Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital — a gap of $15K per procedure.
Of 100 hospitals analyzed in Washington, 23 (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%).