CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings: Results & Changes
The CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings were released on October 8, 2026. According to CMS, 37% of Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage (188 MA-PD contracts) received at least four stars. Approximately 71% of MA-PD enrollees are currently in contracts rated four stars or higher for 2027. The enrollment-weighted average rating is 3.99 stars, down from 4.01 in 2026. Medicare beneficiaries can compare updated ratings before Open Enrollment begins October 15, 2026.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has published its 2027 quality ratings for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans.
The annual ratings help beneficiaries compare health plans based on measures such as patient experience, preventive care, chronic-condition management, medication safety and customer service.
However, a high star rating does not necessarily mean a plan has the lowest premium, covers every medication or includes your preferred doctors.
Here are the official results, important changes and steps for checking your own Medicare plan.
CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings: Key Results
These figures come from the official CMS fact sheet released October 8, 2026.
| CMS Measure | 2027 Result |
|---|---|
| Total rated MA-PD contracts | 508 |
| MA-PD contracts with 4+ stars | 188 |
| Percentage of MA-PD contracts with 4+ stars | Approximately 37% |
| MA-PD enrollees in 4+ star contracts | Approximately 71% |
| Five-star MA-PD contracts | 15 |
| Average MA-PD rating, enrollment-weighted | 3.99 stars |
| Standalone Part D contracts with 4+ stars | 11 |
| Standalone Part D enrollees in 4+ star contracts | Approximately 22% |
Source: CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings.
2027 vs. 2026 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings
The 2027 results show changes in how contracts are distributed across the star-rating categories.
| Overall Star Rating | 2026 Contracts | 2027 Contracts | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 stars | 22 | 15 | -7 |
| 4.5 stars | 89 | 65 | -24 |
| 4 stars | 118 | 108 | -10 |
| 3.5 stars | 166 | 164 | -2 |
| 3 stars | 98 | 124 | +26 |
| 2.5 stars | 21 | 31 | +10 |
| 2 stars | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Total rated | 516 | 508 | -8 |
The number of five-star MA-PD contracts fell from 22 to 15, while the number of three-star contracts increased from 98 to 124.
These figures describe contract counts, not the number of individual plans available in every county.
Star Ratings can change because of contract performance, annual rating thresholds, measurement updates and other methodology adjustments. A lower rating does not automatically mean every aspect of a plan’s benefits has worsened.
Which Medicare Advantage Contracts Earned Five Stars in 2027?
CMS identified 15 MA-PD contracts receiving five stars for 2027.
The table below reproduces their contract identifiers and names from the official CMS fact sheet.
| Contract ID | Contract Name | Five Stars in 2026? |
|---|---|---|
| H0710 | Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Co. | No |
| H1644 | Longevity Health Plan of Florida, Inc. | No |
| H2292 | Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Co. | No |
| H2960 | Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Nevada | No |
| H4286 | Leon Health, Inc. | Yes |
| H5141 | Clover Insurance Company | No |
| H5374 | Longevity Health Plan of North Carolina, Inc. | Yes |
| H5577 | MCS Advantage, Inc. | Yes |
| H5652 | Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Inc. | Yes |
| H5774 | Triple S Advantage, Inc. | No |
| H6988 | Anthem HP, LLC | Yes |
| H7557 | Longevity Health Plan of Michigan, Inc. | No |
| H8947 | Peak Health Insurance Corporation | No |
| H9590 | Longevity Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. | Yes |
| H9942 | Longevity Health Plan of New Jersey Insurance Comp. | No |
These are contract-level ratings. A company may operate several contracts with different scores, and a five-star contract may not be available in your ZIP code.
Use the contract ID and Medicare Plan Finder to identify the actual plans available in your area.
Which Contracts Received Low-Performing Warnings?
CMS identified four contracts receiving the low-performing icon for the 2027 Star Ratings.
| Contract ID | Contract Name | CMS Warning Basis |
|---|---|---|
| H3814 | ATRIO Health Plans | Part C |
| H4982 | Aetna Better Health of California Inc. | Part C or D |
| H7389 | HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. | Part C |
| H9066 | Visiting Nurse Association of Central New York | Part D |
CMS uses the low-performing designation for contracts meeting its applicable repeated low-rating criteria. It is a warning to investigate the contract’s quality history, not a statement that every doctor or service in the plan is inadequate.
Beneficiaries should review the plan’s current coverage, costs and alternatives rather than relying on the warning icon alone.
What Do Medicare Star Ratings Mean?
CMS uses a five-star system to communicate overall quality and performance.
| Star Rating | CMS Quality Description |
|---|---|
| 5 stars | Excellent |
| 4 stars | Above average |
| 3 stars | Average |
| 2 stars | Below average |
| 1 star | Poor |
Plans can also receive half-star increments, such as 3.5 or 4.5 stars.
The ratings combine multiple measures rather than relying on one customer satisfaction survey.
How Does CMS Calculate Medicare Advantage Star Ratings?
For 2027, CMS evaluates:
- MA-PD contracts: Up to 43 unique quality and performance measures.
- Medicare Advantage-only contracts: Up to 32 measures.
- Standalone Part D contracts: Up to 13 measures.
The measures examine different aspects of care and service, including:
- Preventive screenings.
- Chronic-condition management.
- Patient experience.
- Access to needed care.
- Prescription drug safety.
- Customer service.
- Complaints and appeals.
- Plan performance and quality improvement.
CMS applies its published methodology to calculate measure-level and summary ratings.
What Changed in the 2027 Star Ratings Methodology?
CMS introduced and revised several quality measures for 2027.
New Medication Safety Measures
Two measures were added:
- Concurrent Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines (COB).
- Polypharmacy: Use of Multiple Anticholinergic Medications in Older Adults (Poly-ACH).
These measures focus on medication-use patterns relevant to patient safety.
Changes to Health Outcome Measures
The weighting of the following measures increased from one to three:
- Improving or Maintaining Physical Health.
- Improving or Maintaining Mental Health.
CMS also updated colorectal cancer screening measurement and returned the Care for Older Adults Functional Status Assessment measure.
Other measures were retired or moved to display-only reporting.
Because of these changes, year-to-year comparisons should be interpreted carefully.
How Did Medicare Part D Star Ratings Change for 2027?
Standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans have separate ratings.
CMS reports that 11 standalone PDP contracts, approximately 27% of those rated, received four stars or higher for 2027.
Approximately 22% of standalone PDP enrollees are currently in contracts rated at least four stars, compared with approximately 2% in 2026.
| Standalone Part D Measure | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Total rated contracts | 40 | 41 |
| Five-star contracts | 2 | 0 |
| Four-star or higher contracts | 9 | 11 |
| Average rating, enrollment-weighted | 3.01 | 3.22 |
There were no five-star standalone PDP contracts in the 2027 CMS distribution.
How to Check Your Medicare Advantage Star Rating for 2027
Open the official Medicare Plan Compare tool.
Plan availability depends on your geographic service area.
Select Medicare Advantage or a standalone Part D drug plan, as appropriate.
This helps identify drug coverage and estimated out-of-pocket costs.
Look for each plan’s overall quality rating and available details.
Check premiums, deductibles, copays, provider networks and maximum out-of-pocket costs.
Should You Switch to a Five-Star Medicare Advantage Plan?
A five-star rating indicates strong measured performance under CMS’s rating system.
However, a five-star plan is not automatically the most suitable choice for every beneficiary.
Before changing plans, check:
| What to Compare | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Doctor and hospital network | Your preferred providers may not participate. |
| Prescription drug formulary | Coverage and cost-sharing vary by medication. |
| Monthly premium | Some plans cost more each month than others. |
| Deductibles and copays | Out-of-pocket costs can differ substantially. |
| Maximum out-of-pocket limit | Important for potential annual medical spending. |
| Prior authorization requirements | Some services may require plan approval. |
| Star Rating | Provides an additional measure of quality and experience. |
Use Star Ratings as one part of your comparison, not as the only deciding factor. A plan with a slightly lower rating may have a provider network or drug formulary that better matches your needs.
When Is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027?
The Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7, 2026.
During this period, eligible beneficiaries can generally:
- Switch between Medicare Advantage plans.
- Move from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, subject to applicable rules.
- Return from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare.
- Join, switch or drop standalone Part D coverage when permitted.
Changes made during this period generally take effect January 1, 2027.
If you are satisfied with your current coverage, review the Annual Notice of Change anyway. Premiums, benefits, drug coverage and provider participation may change for 2027.
Can You Switch to a Five-Star Medicare Plan Outside Open Enrollment?
Medicare offers a Five-Star Special Enrollment Period for eligible beneficiaries who want to join a five-star Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost or Part D plan.
The opportunity is generally available once between December 8 and November 30 of the following year, subject to Medicare’s rules and plan availability.
A qualifying five-star plan must serve your area, and other eligibility conditions may apply.
Before switching, check whether your existing drug coverage or other benefits would be affected.
Do Star Ratings Affect Medicare Advantage Payments?
Yes. Medicare Advantage Star Ratings are also used in CMS’s quality bonus payment system.
The 2027 Star Ratings will affect 2028 Medicare Advantage quality bonus payments.
This is different from the ratings’ immediate role in helping beneficiaries compare plans for 2027 coverage.
Changes in ratings can therefore affect both consumers’ plan comparisons and insurers’ future payment calculations.
What Do the 2027 Ratings Mean for Humana, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna?
Major insurers operate multiple Medicare Advantage contracts, so a company-wide summary can hide differences between individual contracts.
For example, CMS’s 2027 five-star list includes contracts associated with UnitedHealth Group and other parent organizations.
But that does not mean every plan sold by those companies received five stars.
To check a particular insurer:
- Identify the exact plan name.
- Find its CMS contract ID.
- Check the rating for that contract.
- Confirm that the plan is available in your ZIP code.
- Compare its 2027 benefits and costs.
See our related guide to Humana Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027 for additional plan research.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did CMS release the 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings?
CMS released the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings on October 8, 2026.
What percentage of Medicare Advantage contracts received four stars or higher?
Approximately 37% of rated MA-PD contracts, representing 188 contracts, earned at least four stars.
How many Medicare Advantage contracts received five stars?
Fifteen MA-PD contracts received five stars in 2027, compared with 22 in 2026.
What is the average Medicare Advantage Star Rating for 2027?
The enrollment-weighted average overall MA-PD rating is 3.99 stars.
Does a five-star plan have the lowest premium?
Not necessarily. Star Ratings measure quality and performance, not simply price.
Where can I see the 2027 Medicare Star Ratings?
Use Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov or consult the official CMS Star Ratings data.
Can I change Medicare Advantage plans during Open Enrollment?
Eligible beneficiaries can generally make qualifying coverage changes from October 15 through December 7, 2026.
Does a low-performing warning mean a plan is closing?
No. A low-performing designation is not itself a notice that a plan is terminating. Check official plan communications for contract changes or termination information.
Are Part D Star Ratings different from Medicare Advantage ratings?
Yes. Standalone Part D plans receive drug-plan quality ratings, while MA-PD contracts receive overall ratings incorporating applicable Part C and Part D measures.
Do the 2027 ratings affect Medicare Advantage payments?
Yes. CMS says the 2027 ratings affect 2028 Medicare Advantage quality bonus payments.
Bottom Line
The CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings show that approximately 37% of MA-PD contracts earned at least four stars, while approximately 71% of current MA-PD enrollees are in contracts meeting that quality threshold.
The number of five-star contracts declined from 22 in 2026 to 15 in 2027, and the enrollment-weighted average rating decreased slightly to 3.99.
For Medicare beneficiaries, the most useful next step is to compare the actual 2027 plans available in their area, checking quality scores alongside premiums, prescription coverage, doctors and out-of-pocket costs.
Related BillUnpacked Guides
- Humana Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027
- 2027 Medicare Part B Premium
- Who Is Eligible for the $90 Medicare Payment?
- Social Security 2027 COLA Estimates
Official Sources
CMS — 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings Fact Sheet
CMS — Part C and D Performance Data and 2027 Tables
Medicare.gov — Compare Medicare Plans
Last reviewed: October 9, 2026. Figures are based on CMS’s October 8, 2026 publication. This article is general Medicare information, not personalized insurance advice. Availability, benefits and costs depend on your location and individual plan. BillUnpacked is an independent informational website and is not affiliated with CMS or Medicare.