2027 Medicare Star Ratings: The Available Snapshot CMS published the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings on October 8. The ratings are now available in Medicare Plan Finder for the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. The ratings will also affect Medicare Advantage quality bonus payments for 2028.…
2027 Medicare Star Ratings: The Available Snapshot
CMS published the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings on October 8. The ratings are now available in Medicare Plan Finder for the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. The ratings will also affect Medicare Advantage quality bonus payments for 2028. CMS’s fact sheet describes the measures and rating results.
The main figures differ by plan type:
- Medicare Advantage with drug coverage (MA-PD): About 37% of contracts, or 188, earned four or more stars for 2027, down from about 44% for 2026. By enrollment, about 71% of MA-PD members are in contracts rated four stars or higher.
- Five-star MA-PD contracts: 15 earned the high-performing icon, down from 22 for 2026. Six of the 15 also had the icon in 2026.
- Low-performing MA-PD contracts: Four received the low-performing icon for 2027 for consistently low quality ratings. This includes Aetna Better Health of California Inc., with about 9,358 enrollees, and Visiting Nurse Association of Central New York, a Part D contract with about 654 enrollees. Four contracts received the icon last year.
- Standalone Part D: No contract earned five stars. About 27%, or 11 contracts, earned four or more stars. About 22% of Part D enrollees are in those contracts, up from about 2% in 2026. The enrollment-weighted average rose from 3.01 to 3.22.
- Average MA-PD rating: The enrollment-weighted average was 3.99 for 2027, compared with 4.01 for 2026.
CMS rates MA-PD contracts on up to 43 measures, MA-only contracts on up to 32, and standalone Part D contracts on up to 13. The 2027 ratings add two drug-safety measures: Concurrent Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines, and Polypharmacy: Use of Multiple Anticholinergic Medications in Older Adults.
What Licensed Insurance Agents Should See in a Star Rating
An overall rating is a weighted blend of Part C health measures and Part D drug measures. It is not a guarantee that every part of a plan performs equally. An overall score can be strong while the drug coverage rating is lower, which may matter especially to someone who takes several prescriptions.
Check the Part C and Part D ratings separately in Plan Finder. A standalone Part D plan has a Part D rating, while an MA-PD plan includes both health and drug coverage ratings. CMS also reports that about 44% of nonprofit MA-PD contracts earned four or more stars, compared with about 34% of for-profit contracts. MA-PD contracts with at least 10 years in the program were more likely to earn four or more stars than newer contracts.
Medicare Plan Finder displays star ratings alongside plan benefits and costs. Use the ratings as one comparison measure, not as a substitute for checking providers, prescriptions, and plan terms.
Ratings and 2027 Benefits Are Different Lenses
The 2027 ratings reflect past performance. They also inform 2028 quality bonus payments. A rating change published now does not itself change a plan’s current premium. Any later effect on extra benefits may depend on how a plan responds to its quality bonus payments and other factors.
A separate review of 2027 offerings is needed to identify current benefit and network changes. KFF Health News reports that about one million Medicare Advantage members must change plans for 2027, and that several large carriers are reducing benefits such as dental coverage and Part B premium givebacks. It also reports network reductions and higher out-of-pocket costs. KFF Health News’s coverage of 2027 plan changes provides that market context.
The distinction is practical: a plan can have a high star rating and still change its extra benefits, provider network, or other terms for 2027. A rating is not confirmation that last year’s plan features remain in place.
Enrollment Periods and Options Outside Open Enrollment
The standard Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Medicare also lists several Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) that may allow a plan change outside that period. Eligibility and available choices depend on the circumstances.
- 5-Star SEP: If a five-star Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost, or Part D plan is available in the area, an eligible person can use this SEP once between December 8 and November 30 of the following year. For the 2027 plan year, that period is December 8, 2026, through November 30, 2027.
- Low-performing plan SEP: A person enrolled in a plan rated below three stars for the last three years can switch to another Medicare Advantage or drug plan at any time while in that low-performing plan.
- Plan contract ending or not renewed: Medicare describes a SEP from December 8 through the last day of February of the following year when a plan contract is not renewed.
- Other qualifying events: Moves, loss of certain coverage, and other events may create separate enrollment periods with different dates and rules.
The applicable dates and conditions should be confirmed before an enrollment action. Medicare lists these and other Special Enrollment Period rules.
Before December 7: Plan Review Checklist
Use the following steps to compare the current plan with 2027 options:
- Look up the plan’s 2027 overall, Part C, and Part D ratings.
- Confirm that doctors and hospitals are in the plan’s 2027 network.
- Confirm that preferred pharmacies remain in network.
- Re-price the same prescriptions using the plan’s 2027 drug coverage and pharmacy options.
- Compare extra benefits with last year’s plan documents.
- Review premium, cost-sharing, and other plan terms for 2027.
- Confirm whether the current plan is renewing and whether the service area is changing.
- Record the dates for any SEP that may apply, including the 5-Star SEP.
- Request each plan comparison and its assumptions in writing.
10 Questions to Ask Licensed Insurance Agents
A plan review should be centered on the client’s needs, not a carrier’s preferred product. Licensed insurance agents work for the client in that review, while agent appointments and compensation may vary. Ask:
- What are the plan’s 2027 Part C and Part D ratings?
- Are my doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies in network for 2027?
- Have the plan’s formulary, drug tiers, or pharmacy terms changed?
- Which benefits have changed from last year?
- Are you a broker who may compare multiple carriers, or an agent representing a specific carrier?
- How are you compensated for an enrollment?
- Can you show the plan’s star ratings in Medicare Plan Finder?
- What happens if the plan is not renewed or its contract ends?
- Is a switch from Medicare Advantage to a Medicare Supplement plan possible in my situation, and what eligibility rules apply?
- Can I receive the comparison, including costs and assumptions, in writing?
Agent Records and License Verification
Insurance licenses are issued by individual states. There is no national insurance license. A National Producer Number (NPN) is a permanent producer identifier, but it does not by itself establish that a person holds a current state license or the required lines of authority.
A directory profile is a research starting point, not proof of current licensure, carrier appointment, or authority to sell a specific product. Available directory records include Cherelee Jensen, NPN 21389542 and Lyn Silvers, NPN 529802. Their recorded categories include Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements, and Medicare drug plans; specific products and lines of authority have not been confirmed. Current status should be independently confirmed with the state insurance department or the NIPR producer lookup.
For the named low-performing contracts, the directory provides California information and New York information. These location resources do not confirm a plan’s availability, network, or enrollment eligibility.
Do not give a Medicare number, Social Security number, or payment to anyone who calls about switching plans before verifying the agent’s current state license and NPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Medicare star rating?
Medicare ratings range from one to five stars. Four or more stars is commonly used to identify higher-rated contracts, and five stars represents the top rating. A rating is one quality measure, not a complete plan comparison. Provider access, drug coverage, costs, and benefits should also be checked for the specific year.
Can I switch Medicare plans outside of Open Enrollment?
A switch may be possible outside Open Enrollment if a Special Enrollment Period applies. Examples include qualifying moves, certain coverage changes, a plan contract ending, a low-performing plan SEP, or the 5-Star SEP when a five-star option is available in the area. Dates, eligibility, and permitted changes vary by SEP.
Do star ratings affect my monthly premium?
The ratings do not directly change a member’s current monthly premium. CMS uses 2027 Medicare Advantage ratings to determine 2028 quality bonus payments. A plan may make future choices about premiums, benefits, and networks, but a rating alone does not establish what those terms will be. Verify 2027 plan documents before enrolling.
