Choosing a Hospital

When you or a loved one needs hospital care, check ratings among your local options. Compare patient safety scores and ratings on the services that matter to you when choosing a hospital.

WHY should I research hospitals?

Hospitals can differ in how well they provide care, according to official rating systems. Some hospitals get excellent ratings for care overall or for certain types of services. Hospitals that meet key standards often have fewer complications and are more likely to avoid patient harm.

HOW do I research hospitals?

1. Look up which hospitals are included under your health coverage plan on Provider Search. For most of us, choosing a hospital that is "in-network" is important to help keep costs lower. Go to the Provider Search tool to find in-network hospitals in your area. Use this list to help you decide which hospitals to compare.
2. Confirm that these in-network hospitals offer the service you need. Look up the services a hospital offers online or call them directly. You can also ask your doctor for help.
3. Look up ratings for the hospitals you identified in #1 and #2 above. Focus on items that apply to everyone, like patient safety and patient experience, and on services that you need.
   • It is worth taking the time now to compare your options, so you choose the hospital that best meets your needs.
   • Note: Be aware that the tools below include hospitals that are not in your plan, as well as those that are. Use your Provider Search results to look up hospitals that are in-network.

WHERE do I find hospital ratings?

Easy-to-Use Safety Grades, from A to F

• Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades

For Families Expecting a Baby

• Maternity Care Honor Roll from HCAI.gov and Cal Hospital Compare.
• Search for the hospital on Cal Hospital Compare and look under the "Mother & Baby" section.
• Learn more about C-section rates and preparing for delivery at My Birth Matters.

Hospital ratings across services and care types

Find items like: How patients rated the hospital after receiving care; Complication rates, including for specific services; and how much experience the hospital has doing various procedures.

• Cal Hospital Compare. Ratings provided for most California hospitals.
  • From the home page, enter a hospital's name or your ZIP code. Click on the hospital's name when it appears in the left bar. The hospital's ratings will appear alongside state averages.
  • If the hospital was named to an Honor Roll, the Honor Roll icon will appear on the hospital's main page.
  • To view ratings for multiple hospitals: Search for hospitals in your area and click on "Save & Compare Hospital" (or "Save & Compare Provider") next to the hospital name.
    
    Select up to 3 hospitals. Then go to the top right of the page and click on "My Hospitals" (with the red number icon to the left). Click on the "Compare Providers" button. Use the "Overview" drop down menu to compare hospitals by types of care.
• Leapfrog Hospital Ratings: To compare hospitals, search by area or name. View ratings for individual hospitals or choose up to 3 facilities to compare across categories.
  • Some California hospitals are not rated on Leapfrog's tool because they did not submit survey results. (Many of the hospitals missing here are rated on Cal Hospital Compare.)

WHAT TO DO if you want to see improvement in your local hospitals' ratings:

• Talk to your doctor. Ask for help about where to get care so you can expect to have the best possible outcome.
• Depending on your needs and length of stay, consider if there are better-rated hospitals in your plan that are a little further away.
• Write to the hospital or talk to your doctor about the changes you want to see. This kind of feedback from patients can help improve care. For specific questions about your health plan benefits, please call the number on the back of your Member ID card.

Find more information on choosing a hospital (PDF)