What are Star Ratings?

Dear Kim 

Yes, Medicare’s Star Rating System is one factor you can use to compare different Part D plans. However, for most people, Star Ratings should not be the only thing you consider. It’s also important to evaluate plans for their fit to your particular needs – the medications you take, the pharmacies you prefer to use, and your budget.  

The Star Rating System is one way Medicare reflects how well Medicare Advantage and Part D plans perform. The scores are impacted by plans’ performance in several categories, including quality of care and customer service. Ratings range from one to five stars, with five being the highest rating and one being the lowest rating. In addition to the overall rating, there are ratings for each category.  You can use the overall star rating to compare plans or compare based on the categories that are most important to you. Medicare reviews plans every year and releases new star ratings each fall. This means a plan’s rating – overall or in specific categories – might change from year to year. 

How are the plans rated? 

Part D plans are rated on how well they perform in four different categories: 

1. Drug plan customer service 
2. Member complaints, problems getting services, and choosing to leave the plan 
3. Member experience with the drug plan 
4. Drug pricing and patient safety 

Medicare Advantage Plans are rated on how well they perform in five different categories: 

1. Staying healthy: screenings, tests, and vaccines 
2. Managing chronic (long-term) conditions 
3. Plan responsiveness and care 
4. Member complaints, problems getting services, and choosing to leave the plan 
5. Health plan customer service 

Medicare Advantage plans that include drug benefits (MAPDs) have ratings that include both groups.  

Before you consider a plan’s star rating, make sure the plan’s coverage rules, networks, and cost structures suit your needs. For example, as you are considering Part D plans, be sure the plan covers your drugs at a cost that works for you. 

Where to find information on your plan’s star rating 

• Star ratings can be found using Medicare’s Plan Finder tool or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. New plan quality ratings come out each October and apply to the next calendar year. For example, plan ratings for 2026 will be available in October 2025. 
  • Star ratings in the Medicare & You handbook might be outdated. For up-to-date information on star ratings, check Plan Finder or call 1-800-MEDICARE. 

How to use Star Rating to inform your plan choice 

• You can use star ratings to compare plans  by the categories, listed above, that Medicare finds important indicators of plan performance. Keep in mind that a plan’s star rating is only one factor to look at when comparing plans. Even though a plan has a high star rating, it might not be right for you. You should also consider the plan’s costs, coverage, and network for providers and pharmacies. 
• If Medicare gives a plan fewer than three stars for three years in a row, Plan Finder will flag the plan as low-performing. The symbol Plan Finder uses to show that a plan is low-performing is an upside-down red triangle with an exclamation point inside of it (similar to a caution sign). Medicare will notify you if the plan you are currently enrolled in is designated as low-performing. You will not be removed from the plan, but you might want to check the plan’s costs and coverage, as well as other plans available in your area, to make sure it is still a good plan for you. 
• If you plan to enroll in a low-performing plan, you must call 1-800-MEDICARE or the plan directly. You cannot use the online Plan Finder tool to enroll in low-performing plans.  

Hope this helps! 

-Marci