Top-rated hospitals can lack an array of services

COMPARISON OF SERVICES PROVIDED AT FIVE-STAR-RATED HOSPITALS VS. NON-FIVE-STAR RATED HOSPITALS. (JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE)

When it comes to hospitals, a five-star rating may not necessarily signal the best. Or that’s what a new study of nearly 2,800 hospitals finds. Researchers looked at 150 hospitals that had a five-star rating — based partly on a CMS system that uses patient surveys — and found that these hospitals were less likely to provide common medical services, including an emergency department and neurology, than lower-rated hospitals. The finding remained true even when specialty hospitals were excluded. Hospitals that offer more comprehensive services seem to have a tougher time getting five-star ratings, the authors write, which could mean that current rating system may not offer an effective way for patients to compare facilities.