Healthgrades: Half of patients live far from top hospitals

Healthgrades unveils Best Hospitals Awards for 2026

This year's awards recognize the top 250 U.S. hospitals, which Healthgrades said it ranked based on clinical performance across more than 30 common procedures and conditions.

These hospitals are exemplars in patient care, Healthgrades added, stressing that if all hospitals performed similarly to the Best Hospitals recipients, the nation could have saved around 211,370 lives.

That's an important finding, the company added, as more patients consider hospital quality when selecting a healthcare facility. Per Healthgrades data, around two-thirds of patients said they are more likely to choose a hospital that has won a healthcare quality award than one that has not.

Another 80% said they feel more confident in their decision to seek care at a hospital that's received a quality award, and a third said they consider quality awards one of their top three criteria for selecting a particular hospital.

"Patients are taking a more active role in their care than ever before, but real empowerment comes from having choices and access to information they can trust," Dr. Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades, said in a press announcement.

"This year's America's Best Hospitals list gives patients a clearer picture of where high-quality care is delivered most consistently, helping them understand their options and feel confident in choosing the care that's right for them."

But it's not enough for patients to have access to quality data from their healthcare providers. Even when patients can determine the best hospital based on clinical quality, it's not a guarantee they'll be able to conveniently access care, according to a separate Healthgrades report.

46% of patients live 25 miles from a Top Hospital

Using 2020 U.S. census data, Healthgrades flagged zip codes that are 25 miles or more from the hospitals in its 250 Best Hospital rankings. According to the company, many healthcare experts regard 30 miles as the threshold constituting a healthcare travel barrier.

Overall, 46% of Americans live at least 25 miles from a Healthgrades Top Hospital, which the company said could block many from accessing the highest-quality care.

Notably, Healthgrades acknowledged that many hospitals not ranked on its 2026 Top Hospitals list can still deliver high-quality care. Some hospitals might perform exceptionally well in a certain medical specialty, while others simply don't fall within the top 5% of hospitals Healthgrades ranked for this year's list but still deliver good outcomes.

Still, travel barriers persist.

For example, when looking at the top 20% of U.S. hospitals, Healthgrades still flagged travel barriers, with one-third of Americans living at least 25 miles away.

There are also steep geographical disparities at play. For example, 30 million Americans live in a state without a single one of the 250 Best Hospitals ranked by Healthgrades. States including Idaho, Montana, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma are disproportionately affected.

Long travel times, and the transportation barriers they often beget, can have an impact on healthcare outcomes. Healthgrades cited a previous study finding that transportation barriers can lead to delayed or deferred care.

These impacts have been felt acutely in rural areas, as well as for certain types of specialty care, like reproductive healthcare.

Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.