Hospital star ratings by ownership type
CMS data records each hospital's ownership: non-profit, for-profit, or government (local, state and federal). Aggregating the star ratings by ownership gives a clear picture of who runs the best-rated hospitals nationally.
Key findings
- Tribal hospitals average 4.33 stars, with 66.7% rated four stars or better.
- Proprietary hospitals average 2.79 stars, with 27.9% at four stars or better.
- Taken together, these groups cover 5,387 hospitals, of which 3,174 carry an overall CMS rating.
| Ownership | Hospitals | Rated | Average rating | Four stars or better |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tribal | 17 | 3 | 4.33 ★ | 66.7% |
| Veterans Health Administration | 132 | 112 | 4.16 ★ | 77.7% |
| Physician | 80 | 18 | 3.67 ★ | 50.0% |
| Non-profit | 2,939 | 2,083 | 3.31 ★ | 45.7% |
| Government | 1,156 | 456 | 2.91 ★ | 30.9% |
| Proprietary | 1,063 | 502 | 2.79 ★ | 27.9% |
Why this matters
Ownership does not decide quality, but the pattern is worth knowing when choosing a hospital: large for-profit chains, non-profit systems and public hospitals tend to report different mixes of services, and their patient populations differ. The rating adjusts for some of that, but not all.
Method
Ownership labels are grouped into non-profit, for-profit and government from the CMS "Hospital Ownership" field; unrated hospitals are excluded from averages. Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog (public domain).