CMS released 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings on Oct. 8, giving more insight into the MA landscape beyond health plans’ marketing materials.
Contracts receive a rating each year, ranging from one to five stars. The ratings help beneficiaries compare plans, but they also shape quality bonus payments to boost benefits. Four stars is the main threshold for achieving bonus payments.
In terms of methodology, CMS added two Part D measures for 2027, one tracking concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines and another tracking use of multiple anticholinergic medications in older adults. CMS also tripled the weight of two measures on improving or maintaining physical and mental health.
Despite an earlier court ruling against 20 measures, CMS generally maintained its methodology for 2027 calculations. The Trump administration is appealing that ruling.
Here are eight things to know about how plans fared with star ratings:
- Fifteen MA contracts scored five-star ratings for 2027, down from 22 in 2026. All of Longevity Health’s eligible contracts landed the top rating.
- Thirty-two MA contracts had 2.5 or fewer stars for 2027, up from 23. The lowest rating of the year was two stars, which only one contract received.
- In 2026, the average star ratings were 3.82 for UnitedHealthcare, 3.68 for Aetna, 3.59 for Elevance, 3.47 for Humana, 3.38 for Health Care Service Corp. and 3.31 for Centene. In 2027, the averages were 3.83 for Humana, 3.57 for UnitedHealthcare, 3.51 for Elevance, 3.47 for Aetna, 3.14 for Centene and 3.1 for HCSC.
- The enrollment-weighted average star rating was 3.99, versus 4.01 in 2026, for MA contracts that include drug coverage, according to CMS.
- Looking specifically at individual MA and MA prescription drug contracts, HCSC and Centene are each dropping several hundred counties. Aetna and UnitedHealthcare are each dropping between 100 and 200 counties, while Humana and Elevance are dropping fewer than 100 each.
- Humana rebounded with its 2027 star ratings. The company said 95% of its MA members are in plans with at least four stars, up from 20% in 2026.
- Overall, weighted by enrollment, about 71% of MA-PD enrollees are currently in contracts that secured at least four stars for 2027, CMS said.
- Alignment Healthcare filed a lawsuit against CMS on Oct. 9, alleging that CMS included 10 measures that had not gone through notice-and-comment rulemaking.
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