2021 Winning Hospitals

COST EFFICIENCY

America needs hospitals that can achieve great outcomes at a low cost.

View recording of our launch event.

Watch the video of the creators of the Lown Hospitals Index and an expert panel discussing cost efficiency findings, the methodology, and what’s coming up next.

The Lown Institute Hospitals Index is the first ranking to evaluate cost efficiency for more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals. The Cost Efficiency metric measures how well hospitals achieve great outcomes at a low cost to Medicare. 

The Lown Institute analysis found wide variation in cost, even among hospitals of the same type, size, region, and with similar mortality rates. Overall, if all hospitals performed as well as the most cost-efficient hospitals, Medicare would save $8 billion each year. See the top hospitals for cost efficiency and other key findings from our results below. (press release | methodology

Key Takeaways

  • If all hospitals in the Lown Index achieved the outcomes and costs as the best 750 hospitals for cost efficiency, Medicare would save $8 billion each year.
  • Some hospitals cost Medicare thousands more per patient than other hospitals of the same type, size, and location.
  • Among hospitals with average 30-day mortality rates, Medicare costs varied three-fold, ranging from $9,000 to $27,000 per patient.

Media inquiries should be directed to Aaron Toleos, vice president of communications for the Lown Institute, at atoleos@lowninstitute.org.