Five-Star Hospitals Increased 32% While One-Star Hospitals Declined 12% In Medicare’s 2026 Quality Ratings

In the 2026 Medicare Hospital Quality Star Ratings cycle, 12.0% of rated hospitals received a five-star overall rating, up from 10.0% in 2025. The number of five-star hospitals increased by 32.3%, from 291 in 2025 to 385 in 2026. There was also a 12.4% decrease in the number of hospitals receiving a one-star rating, from 233 in 2025 to 204 in 2026.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reviewed data for 3,203 hospitals for the 2026 ratings, up from 2,891 hospitals in 2025. The increase resulted from 350 hospitals . . .