What Are Medicare Star Ratings?
Every year, Medicare rates the quality of Medicare Advantage plans and Part D prescription drug plans. Each plan gets an overall score from 1 to 5 stars. Five stars is the best score. One star is the lowest. The ratings are published by CMS, the federal agency that runs Medicare, to help people with Medicare and their caregivers compare plans on quality — not just on price and benefits.
Two things star ratings do not cover:
- Original Medicare itself is not rated. The stars apply to the private Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, because those are the plans you choose among.
- Stars don't set your costs. A high rating measures quality of service, not price. A 5-star plan can cost more or less than a 3-star plan. Check each plan's costs separately.
What Do the Stars Measure?
A plan's overall rating rolls up many separate quality measures. Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage are scored on up to 43 different measures; stand-alone drug plans on up to 12. In plain terms, the measures look at things like:
- How well the plan helps members stay healthy — screenings, vaccines, and check-ups.
- How well it manages long-term conditions like diabetes.
- What members say about their own experience with the plan.
- How many complaints the plan gets and how it handles customer service.
- Drug safety and drug pricing accuracy (for plans with drug coverage).
Want the technical detail — the measure sets, data sources, and bonus payments? See our professional reference, Star Ratings & Quality, or the CMS technical documents.
Where to Find a Plan's Star Rating
Star ratings appear on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder, next to each plan, when you compare plans in your area. New ratings come out each fall. For example, the 2026 ratings were published on Plan Finder on October 9, 2025 — in time for Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year.
Because the ratings are refreshed every year, check the current stars each fall even if you plan to stay put. A plan's score can go up or down from year to year.
What a 5-Star Plan Means for You
A 5-star rating comes with a special rule. If a 5-star Medicare Advantage plan or drug plan is available where you live, you can use a one-time Special Enrollment Period to switch into it — even outside Open Enrollment. You can use this chance once between December 8 and November 30 of the following year.
What a Low Rating Means
Low stars are a warning sign worth reading about, not an automatic reason to panic. Two facts help put a rating in context:
- If your plan has been rated below 3 stars for the last 3 years, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period to switch to a different plan at any time while you're in that plan.
- Most people are in higher-rated plans. For 2026, about 40% of Medicare Advantage drug plan contracts earned 4 stars or more — and about 64% of enrollees are in those higher-rated contracts.
How to Use Star Ratings When Comparing Plans
Stars are one useful signal — but only one. A high-rated plan still may not cover your doctors or your prescriptions. When you compare plans, look at the stars alongside:
- Whether your doctors and hospital are in the plan's network.
- Whether your prescriptions are on the plan's drug list, and at what cost.
- The plan's premium, copays, and yearly out-of-pocket maximum — see Understanding Your Costs.
- How the plan type fits your life — see Choosing Coverage and Medicare Advantage.
MediPrimer doesn't recommend plans. For free, one-on-one help weighing your options, a SHIP counselor can walk through the ratings and your specific needs with you.
Common Questions
Does Original Medicare have a star rating?
No. Star ratings score Medicare Advantage plans and Part D drug plans — the private plans you choose among. Original Medicare is the government program itself and isn't rated.
Do star ratings change every year?
Yes. CMS re-scores every plan each year and publishes new ratings each fall on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Changes from year to year are normal.
Can I switch to a 5-star plan right now?
If a 5-star plan is available in your area, yes — there's a one-time Special Enrollment Period you can use between December 8 and November 30 of the following year. Watch the drug-coverage trap described above, and see Enrollment & Deadlines for how enrollment windows work.
Does a higher star rating mean a cheaper plan?
No. The stars measure quality of care and service, not price. Compare each plan's premium, copays, and drug costs separately on Medicare.gov.
Related Topics
- Choosing Coverage — Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage, even-handedly.
- Medicare Advantage — how the private-plan option works.
- Part D Drug Coverage — how drug plans and formularies work.
- Enrollment & Deadlines — every window, including Special Enrollment Periods.
- Star Ratings & Quality (professional reference) — measure sets, methodology, and bonus payments.
- Medicare.gov Plan Finder — see current ratings for plans in your area.