Healthcare Costs
Medicare Open Enrollment 2027: Medicare Advantage Changes, Plan Exits and What to Check by Dec 7
October 14, 2026
8 min read
Medicare Advantage Star Ratings 2027 Explained: What a Lower Rating Means for Your Care
Medically reviewed by Alan Lucks | MD, Alan Lucks MDPC Private Practice - New York on October 29th, 2026.
Published on October 28th, 2026.
Healthcare Costs
4 min
Key takeaways
Star ratings score Medicare Advantage and Part D plans from 1 to 5 stars on quality and service.
For 2027, the average rating for Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage fell to 3.99 stars, from 4.01.
15 Medicare Advantage contracts with drug coverage earned 5 stars for 2027, down from 22.
A new measure for depression screening and follow-up starts with care given in 2027.
A rating describes a plan's past performance. Your benefits are set by your plan's documents.
What do Medicare Advantage star ratings measure?
Star ratings measure the quality of health and drug services that plan members get. Medicare scores each plan from 1 to 5 stars, and 5 is the highest.
A Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage can be rated on up to 43 measures. They fall into a few broad areas:
Staying healthy: screenings, tests and vaccines
Managing long-term conditions: care for ongoing health problems
Member experience: members' survey answers about getting needed care and getting appointments quickly
Complaints and customer service: complaints about the plan, and members choosing to leave it
Drug plan services: drug safety and accurate drug pricing
Ratings are given by contract. A contract is an insurer's agreement with Medicare, and it can cover several plans. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that runs Medicare, also uses the ratings to set quality bonus payments to plans.
What changed for 2027?
Ratings dipped for 2027. CMS released them on October 8, 2026, in time for open enrollment.
Measure |
2026 |
2027 |
|---|---|---|
Average rating, plans with drug coverage |
4.01 |
3.99 |
5-star contracts, plans with drug coverage |
22 |
15 |
5-star stand-alone drug plans |
2 |
0 |
Contracts flagged as low performing |
4 |
4 |
CMS says about 71% of members in plans with drug coverage are in contracts rated 4 stars or higher for 2027. In a separate rule, CMS is removing 11 measures focused on administrative processes from later ratings. The 2027 ratings affect the quality bonus payments plans get in 2028.
For the bigger picture, see what's changing in Medicare Advantage for 2027.
The new depression screening measure
CMS added a Depression Screening and Follow-Up measure for Medicare Advantage plans. It starts with care given in 2027 and first counts in the 2029 star ratings.
The measure looks at whether members are screened for depression and get follow-up care when they need it.
You may be asked about your mood more often, for example at your Annual Wellness Visit. If you've felt down or lost interest in things you usually enjoy, say so.
What does a lower rating mean for you?
A lower rating doesn't change your benefits for 2027. Your plan's documents set those. The Evidence of Coverage lists what your plan covers. The Annual Notice of Change is the letter listing next year's changes.
A rating reflects how the plan did on its measures in earlier years. It can point to things worth checking in your own care:
How long it takes to get an appointment
Whether your drugs and tests need prior authorization (the plan's approval before it pays)
How the plan's customer service handles your questions
Medicare also has two rules tied to ratings. Check the details on Medicare.gov:
Plans below 3 stars for 3 years in a row: members get a Special Enrollment Period to change plans while they're in that plan. A Special Enrollment Period is a window outside open enrollment to change coverage.
5-star plans: if one is offered where you live, you can change to it once. The window runs from December 8 to November 30 of the next year.
Waiting three weeks for an appointment to keep taking a medicine? In the meantime, a video visit can help with a renewal (a new prescription for a medicine you already take) or a new health question. Doctronic accepts Medicare, and you can see a licensed doctor by video.
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How to look up a plan's rating
The Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov shows each plan's star rating, next to its costs, drug list and doctors. Plans with consistently low ratings carry a low-performing icon there.
Doctronic isn't an insurance agent or broker and doesn't rank or recommend plans. For free help with plan questions:
Medicare.gov: compare plans where you live
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227): Medicare's own help line
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP): free, one-on-one counseling
Our guide to Medicare open enrollment 2027 covers the dates and costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Medicare rates 5 stars as excellent, 4 as above average and 3 as average. 2 stars is below average, and 1 is poor.
Ratings can drop when a plan scores lower on its measures. CMS also adds and removes measures over time. To see which measures your plan scored lower on, open its star rating details in the Medicare Plan Finder.
No. Your 2027 benefits are in your plan's Evidence of Coverage and Annual Notice of Change.
CMS released the 2027 ratings on October 8, 2026, before open enrollment started on October 15.
In the Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE.
The Bottom Line
Look up your plan's 2027 rating in the Medicare Plan Finder, and read your Annual Notice of Change to see what's different.
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