Medicare News
CMS released 2027 star ratings on October 8, 2026. About 71% of Medicare Advantage drug plan members are in plans rated 4 stars or higher. Here is what the ratings mean and how to use them.
Star ratings are one of the few ways to compare plan quality. Here is what CMS just released and how much weight to give it.
Each year CMS rates plans from 1 to 5 stars. The score blends dozens of measures, including preventive screenings, how well chronic conditions are managed, customer service, and member complaints. Medicare Advantage drug plans can be scored on up to 43 measures, and stand-alone drug plans on up to 13.
CMS released the 2027 ratings on October 8, 2026. Plans earning 4 or more stars get larger federal bonus payments, which is why insurers care so much about them. For 2027, CMS added two measures on risky medication combinations, brought back a functional status measure, and gave more weight to the measures of members' physical and mental health.
About 22% of stand-alone Part D drug plan members are in contracts rated 4 or more stars for 2027, up from 2% in 2026. The average rating for those plans rose from 3.01 to 3.22.
About 44% of nonprofit Medicare Advantage drug plan contracts earned 4 or more stars, versus about 34% of for-profit contracts.
A 5-star rating is a good sign, but it describes the whole contract, not your local doctors. A highly rated plan can still leave out your doctor or your drug. Use stars as a tiebreaker after you check your doctors, prescriptions, and total costs. People can also switch into a 5-star plan outside of open enrollment once a year if one is available where they live.
Skyler Abilla is a licensed Medicare agent in Bluffton. Call (843) 284-6815 or book a free call and we will compare ratings alongside doctors and drug costs.
Source: CMS, 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings fact sheet, October 8, 2026. The chart axis starts at 3.5 to show small year-to-year changes.
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