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Nerdy takeaways
- All Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare prescription drug plans get a star rating if there's enough data.
- A plan can be rated between 1 star (poor) and 5 stars (excellent).
- Star ratings are determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
- Star ratings can change from year to year.
Medicare star ratings can help you compare Medicare plans’ quality, performance and member satisfaction. This is important when you’re shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Maybe you’ve found one that has the coverage you need at a cost you can afford. How can you tell whether it’s a good Medicare plan?
Medicare star ratings are calculated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS. Medicare Advantage plans and Part D plans are sold by private health insurance companies, but they're monitored and regulated by the government.
Here’s how to use Medicare star ratings to find the best plan for you.
What are Medicare star ratings?
Medicare star ratings rank plans on a 5-point scale:
- 5 stars: Excellent.
- 4 stars: Above average.
- 3 stars: Average.
- 2 stars: Below average.
- 1 star: Poor.
CMS calculates each plan’s rating based on the plan’s quality of care and measurements of customer satisfaction. You can find a plan’s rating with the Medicare plan-finding tool. The 5-star plans have a special star icon in the results list.
CMS updates plans’ star ratings each year based on the most recent data. Ratings are released in October unless plans are new to the marketplace (in which case, they won’t have ratings until CMS is able to collect the relevant data).
Shopping for Medicare plans? We have you covered.
Medicare Advantage is an alternative to traditional Medicare offered by private health insurers. It covers the same benefits as Medicare Part A and Part B.
- States available48 states and Washington, D.C.
- Members in high-rated plansMedium (50% to 84%)
- Member satisfactionAverage
(855) 432-0512 / TTY 711
M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ET
Speak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.org
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- States available46 states and Washington, D.C.
- Members in high-rated plansLow (49% or less)
- Member satisfactionAbove average
(855) 432-0512 / TTY 711
M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ET
Speak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.org
Get a quote
On NerdWallet
Medicare Advantage star ratings
All Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part C, plans receive star ratings for health coverage in the following five areas:
- Staying healthy: Do members have access to checkups, vaccinations and screening tests that help them stay in good health?
- Chronic conditions: Do members with chronic conditions get the kinds of tests and treatments that would typically be recommended to them?
- Member experience: How do members rate things like ease of seeing specialists and getting appointments quickly?
- Plan performance: What is the complaint history of the plan, and has its performance gotten better or worse over time? Are members leaving the plan?
- Customer service: How well does the plan respond to member requests and appeals?
Medicare Advantage plans also get a summary rating for Medicare Part C — a weighted average of its performance on all health plan measures.
Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage are rated on the Medicare Part D measures described below. These plans receive a summary rating for health plan measures, another summary rating for drug plan measures, and an overall rating for the plan.
» MORE: Best Medicare Advantage plans
Star ratings for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans
Medicare Part D plan ratings are based on the following four area:
- Customer service: How well does the plan respond to member requests and appeals?
- Plan performance: What is the complaint history of the plan, and has its performance gotten better or worse over time? Are members leaving the plan?
- Member experience: How do members rate the plan?
- Drug safety and pricing: How accurate is the plan’s pricing information? Are members with specific medical conditions prescribed drugs appropriately and safely?
Each Medicare Part D plan gets a summary rating, which is a weighted average of all the Medicare Part D measures.
How to compare plans using Medicare star ratings
To compare Medicare plans’ performance as a whole, look at their overall or summary ratings. The best plans have 5 stars.
As a baseline for comparison, here are CMS’ figures for plans’ average star ratings and how many people are in plans rated 4 stars or better:
- Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage have an average overall star rating of 3.98 for 2026. Approximately 64% of beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage are in one with at least 4 stars in 2026.
- Stand-alone Medicare Part D plans have an average summary rating of 3 stars for 2026. About 1% of beneficiaries enrolled in a stand-alone Part D plan are in one with at least 4 stars in 2026.
If you have more specific needs for your care, it can be worth comparing plans’ scores on individual categories or measures. For example, if you have diabetes, it could be important to find a plan that performs well on the diabetes measures in the chronic conditions category.
You can see plans’ ratings for individual measures under “Plan Details” when using the Medicare plan-finding tool.
Signing up for Medicare plans with a 5-star rating
You can sign up for a 5-star Medicare Advantage or Part D plan during the following enrollment periods:
- Initial enrollment period (around your 65th birthday).
- Open enrollment period (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year if you're already enrolled in Medicare).
- Medicare Advantage open enrollment period (Jan. 1 to March 31 each year if you already have a Medicare Advantage plan).
- Special enrollment period, as described below.
No matter what your current plan is rated, if you want to enroll in a 5-star Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, you can switch to one during a special enrollment period — which exists for this purpose — from Dec. 8 to Nov. 30 of the following year. You may do this once during this time, and it's possible only if a 5-star plan is available in your area. (Not all areas have 5-star plans available.)
If you’re enrolled in a plan that has been rated less than 3 stars for three years in a row, you’re allowed a one-time chance at any time to enroll in a higher-rated plan.
Medicare Advantage companies
Get more information below about some of the major Medicare Advantage companies. These insurance companies offer plans in most states. The plans you can choose from will depend on your ZIP code and county.
If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).
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- 1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Five-Star Quality Rating System. Accessed Feb 23, 2026.
- 2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare 2026 Part C & D Star Ratings Technical Notes . Accessed Feb 23, 2026.
- 3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Joining a plan. Accessed Feb 23, 2026.
- 4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Special Enrollment Periods. Accessed Feb 23, 2026.
- 5. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Understanding Medicare Advantage & Medicare Drug Plan Enrollment Periods. Accessed Feb 23, 2026.
