The 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings are officially here, and if you’re an MA agent preparing for the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), there’s more to understand than which plans earned five stars. The latest ratings for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans reveal shifts in plan performance that influence coverage, explain quality, and help beneficiaries make confident enrollment decisions.
You don’t need to become a Medicare quality-measure expert to put these ratings to work. Here’s what matters, what changed, and how to turn the numbers into better client conversations.
What the 2027 Star Ratings Actually Tell Us
CMS rates Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD or MA-PD) plans on a five-star scale, evaluating everything from preventive care and chronic condition management to prescription drug safety, customer service, and member experience. The latest numbers tell an interesting story.
37% of MA-PD contracts earned four or more stars
71% of MA-PD enrollees are in contracts rated four stars or higher for 2027
According to CMS, 188 MA-PD contracts earned at least four stars for 2027. The average contract rating slipped slightly from 4.01 stars in 2026 to 3.99 in 2027.
Less than four out of ten contracts earned four stars or more, but about seven out of ten members are in contracts that did. Remember, a carrier’s national reputation doesn’t always reflect the quality of its local plan.
Review the specific contract and plan available in your client’s service area.
Why Some Plans Are Losing Stars
A lower rating doesn’t automatically mean a plan suddenly provides worse care. CMS recalculates performance thresholds, known as cut points, each year.
This means the performance needed for each star rating can change. For example, a contract might perform about the same as before but get a different rating if the threshold changes.
CMS evaluates MA-PD contracts using up to 43 quality and performance measures, and the results reflect performance during earlier measurement periods. When a client asks why their plan dropped from four stars to 3.5, don’t immediately suggest the plan has deteriorated.
Explain that ratings reflect both measured performance and CMS’s scoring methodology.
What’s Different About the 2027 Ratings?
CMS introduced several changes that agents should understand before discussing this year’s results.
- Medication safety gets more attention. Two new measures examine potentially risky combinations of medications, including opioids with benzodiazepines and multiple anticholinergic medications in older adults.
- Physical health carries more weight. Measures evaluating whether members maintain or improve physical and mental health now carry greater weight in the ratings.
- Some measures have changed or disappeared. CMS updated colorectal cancer screening measurements and retired certain measures, including medication reconciliation after discharge.
These changes reflect an increased emphasis on health outcomes and medication safety, not simply administrative performance.
Number of Five-Star and Lowest Rated MA-PD Plans
Only 15 2027 MA-PD contracts earned five stars for 2027, down from 22 in 2026. Meanwhile, 31 MA-PD contracts received 2.5 stars, with 4 of these plans receiving CMS’s consistently low-performing designation.
For agents, both distinctions matter. Five-star ratings indicate high-performing options, while low-performing designations need closer attention when comparing plans.
However, a five-star plan isn’t automatically the best choice for every beneficiary. A client’s preferred doctors, prescriptions, pharmacy, out-of-pocket costs, and specific healthcare needs still matter.
What Agents Should Do Before AEP Begins
Now is the time to put these ratings into action before AEP starts Thursday. Review your carrier portfolio to identify which contracts improved, declined, or maintained their ratings for 2027.
Don’t just look at the overall score. Check how plans perform in areas that matter to your clients, like prescription drug services and access to care.
Be ready for questions, and explain why ratings changed without making it seem like one score says it all. Look at the whole picture before recommending a plan.
Check provider networks, formularies, premiums, copays, and maximum out-of-pocket costs. Keep your advice focused on the client, and use Star Ratings as just one tool among many.
Agents can review official ratings and available coverage through Medicare Plan Finder.
Better Information Creates Better Conversations
The 2027 MAPD Star Ratings are an opportunity to help beneficiaries understand the quality of their coverage and make more informed decisions. The agents who stand out won’t necessarily be those who know every rating by heart.
They’re the ones who can explain what changed, why it matters, and how it affects each client. When Medicare feels complicated, offering clear guidance is one of the most valuable things you can do.
The Agility Difference
Agility’s Medicare experts are here ready to brainstorm with MA agents on the best ways to use this new information. The team is ready to discuss all Medicare Supplement, PDP, and ancillary plan options as well for Medicare prospects to consider for 2027 Medicare health coverage.
You can call (866) 590-9771 or email support@enrollinsurance.com for immediate assistance from the Medicare team. If you have questions or want to talk to our ACA, CHOICE, Group, life, or ancillary experts, reach out to our dedicated Producer Support at this same phone number or email address.
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