The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released 2027 star ratings for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. You can view them now on Medicare Plan Finder when you compare plans for your ZIP code. Star ratings summarize quality and performance on measures such as customer service, chronic-care management, and (for drug plans) medication safety—but they are only one column in a shopping spreadsheet.
Open Enrollment for Medicare Advantage and Part D runs October 15 through December 7. If you do nothing, most people stay in the same plan and accept its 2027 terms. Before that happens, pull up your current plan in Plan Finder and note whether its star rating moved up, down, or stayed flat compared with last year.
What star ratings measure (and what they skip)
Overall stars combine several domains. A plan with five stars on marketing materials still requires you to verify your doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and drug tiers for 2027. Stars do not replace reading the Summary of Benefits or checking whether your plan is leaving the county.
- Compare stars side by side for plans you are seriously considering—not in isolation.
- Read the measure detail in Plan Finder if you want to know which categories drove the score.
- Pair stars with premium and MOOP (maximum out-of-pocket) so you see cost and quality together.
- Re-run Plan Finder after October updates if you compared plans before star ratings posted.
For a walkthrough of Plan Finder’s 2027 tools—including when directories refresh—see our Plan Finder update article.
Why ratings change year to year
Plans improve or slip based on CMS measure results, membership experience surveys, and regulatory cut points. A carrier you trust may still show a lower star rating in 2027 if a few measures declined. Conversely, a higher star rating does not guarantee your specialists remain in network. Use stars as a filter, then confirm networks and drugs.
Before December 7
- Log into Plan Finder with your Medicare information or enter your drugs and pharmacies manually.
- Open your current plan’s 2027 profile and note star rating, premium, drug costs, and in-network providers.
- If anything material changed, compare at least two alternatives in your county.
- Keep proof of enrollment if you switch—confirmation numbers and effective dates matter in January.
CDA Insurance helps Idaho, Oregon, Texas, and Washington clients interpret Plan Finder results at no cost to you. Call (800) 884-2343 or use the contact page.
Want help reading stars and costs together?
We can walk through Plan Finder with your drug list and doctors before Open Enrollment closes.
This article is for general education. It is not a plan recommendation, quote, or guarantee of coverage. Benefits, premiums, networks, and eligibility vary by plan and county and can change. CDA Insurance LLC is an independent insurance agency and is not connected with the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. Official program information is available at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.