Alaska hospital Medicare penalties
Which Alaska hospitals Medicare is penalizing for infections and patient-safety problems in fiscal year 2026, and which had more readmissions than expected.
Safety penalty (HAC)4 of 850% · U.S. 24%
Excess readmissions6 of 8Above expected on 1+ condition
In the programs8Alaska hospitals
Fiscal year2026Penalty year
Every Alaska hospital in the programs
Penalized hospitals first. Click a column to sort.
| Hospital | HAC penalty | Readmissions above expected | VBP score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Peninsula General HospitalSoldotna | 1% cut | 3 of 4Highest: Heart failure 1.23 | 46 |
| Fairbanks Memorial HospitalFairbanks | 1% cut | 2 of 5Highest: Hip or knee replacement 1.03 | 36.8 |
| Alaska Native Medical CenterAnchorage | 1% cut | 1 of 5Highest: Heart failure 1.05 | 40.2 |
| Providence Alaska Medical CtrAnchorage | 1% cut | 0 of 6 | 25.4 |
| Alaska Regional HospitalAnchorage | No | 5 of 6Highest: Hip or knee replacement 1.17 | 33.3 |
| Bartlett Regional HospitalJuneau | No | 2 of 3Highest: COPD 1.03 | 67.6 |
| Mat-Su Regional Medical CenterPalmer | No | 2 of 5Highest: Heart attack 1.06 | 54.7 |
| Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Reg HospitalBethel | No | 0 of 2 | 52.3 |
Questions
Which Alaska hospitals does Medicare penalize for patient safety?
4 of 8 Alaska hospitals in the program (50%, vs 24% nationally) have their Medicare payments cut 1% in fiscal year 2026: Central Peninsula General Hospital, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Alaska Native Medical Center, Providence Alaska Medical Ctr.
What does a readmission ratio above 1.00 mean?
It means the hospital's Medicare patients were readmitted within 30 days more often than CMS expected for similar patients. In Alaska, 6 of 8 rated hospitals were above 1.00 on at least one condition.
HAC: the quarter of hospitals with the worst hospital-acquired condition scores get a 1% cut to Medicare inpatient payments. Readmissions: a ratio above 1.00 means more readmissions than expected; whether payments are cut depends on how the hospital compares with similar hospitals, so a ratio above 1.00 alone isn't a penalty. VBP: Value-Based Purchasing total performance score out of 100. How the penalties work.