Best Hospitals in Wisconsin 2026
Wisconsin has 142 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $14K. The top-rated hospital is Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital in Eau Claire with a 5-star CMS rating.
142 Wisconsin hospitals appear in the CMS Inpatient Payment dataset. Ranked by average payment per documented procedure: Amery Hospital & Clinic is the lowest at $9,000; Indianhead Medical Ctr the highest at $20,513. 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 Wisconsin's 142 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $14K, below the national average of $16K. 30% ofWisconsin's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 39% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in Wisconsin range from Amery Hospital & Clinic at $9K per procedure to Indianhead Medical Ctr at $21K — a difference of $12K 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 Wisconsin
Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital
Eau Claire, WI
Wisconsin's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $16K per procedure. Outcome score: 76/100.
Bellin Memorial Hospital
Green Bay, WI
Second-best in Wisconsin. 5-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 66/100. Average procedure payment: $16K.
Waukesha Memorial Hospital
Waukesha, WI
Third on quality + outcomes. 5-star CMS rating; Value Score 80/100. Lists 11 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 142 Hospitals in Wisconsin
Hospital quality and cost data for Wisconsin is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital in Eau Claire is the top-rated hospital in Wisconsin with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $16K. Its Value Score is 82/100 (Grade A).
Wisconsin has 142 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $14K, and 39% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
Wisconsin's average procedure payment of $14K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $9K at Amery Hospital & Clinic to $21K at Indianhead Medical Ctr — a gap of $12K per procedure.
Of 142 hospitals analyzed in Wisconsin, 43 (30%) 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%).