Medicare Star Ratings Explained, and the 5-Star Special Enrollment Period

Medicare Star Ratings are CMS's report card for private Medicare plans. Each Medicare Advantage and Part D contract gets a score from 1 to 5 stars, and the ratings show up next to every plan in Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. They're useful, and they're also easy to lean on too hard.

What are Medicare Star Ratings?

They're quality scores, from 1 star (worst) to 5 stars (best), that CMS gives Medicare Advantage plans and Part D drug plans. CMS builds each rating from dozens of individual measures, converts each measure to stars, and combines them into an overall score shown in whole and half stars.

Ratings are given to a contract, not to a single plan. A contract is a group of plans a company offers under one contract number. Every plan under that contract carries the same overall rating, even if the plans are sold in different states.

Star Ratings don't apply to Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies. Medigap companies are compared on other things, like financial strength and rate history.

What do Star Ratings measure?

CMS groups the measures into areas, which Plan Finder displays. These come from the federal rule that governs the ratings (42 CFR 422.166).

Some measures come from medical records and claims, like how many members got recommended screenings. Others come from member surveys, complaint counts and how often members leave the plan. Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage get a combined rating covering both sides.

The measures change over time. CMS's 2027 rule, finalized in April 2026, removes 11 measures and adds a depression screening and follow-up measure that will first count in the 2029 ratings.

When do the 2027 Star Ratings come out?

CMS says the 2027 Star Ratings will appear on Medicare.gov on or around October 8, 2026. They were not yet out as of October 2, 2026. That timing puts them in Plan Finder about a week before open enrollment begins on October 15.

The ratings released this fall are the ones attached to plans for 2027. They're based mostly on data from earlier years, so a plan's rating reflects its recent track record, not a promise about next year.

How does the 5-star special enrollment period work?

If a plan with a 5-star overall rating is available where you live, you can switch into it once, any time from December 8 to November 30 of the following year. Per Medicare & You 2027, this works for a 5-star Medicare Advantage plan, Medicare drug plan or Medicare Cost Plan.

A few things to know:

1. You get one switch during that period.
2. The plan has to serve your county. A 5-star plan elsewhere doesn't help you.
3. Watch your drug coverage. If you move from a plan with drug coverage into a 5-star Medicare Advantage plan without it, you could lose Part D coverage and risk a late penalty later.
4. Check everything else first. A 5-star rating doesn't mean the plan covers your medications or includes your doctors.

Five-star plans are rare. In CMS's 2026 plan data for Nebraska, none of the Medicare Advantage or standalone Part D contracts listed had a 5-star overall rating. Whether that changes for 2027 won't be known until the new ratings post around October 8.

Why do Star Ratings matter to the plans?

They affect the plans' revenue, which is one reason companies work hard on them. CMS uses Star Ratings to set quality bonus payments for Medicare Advantage contracts. Under the federal rule (42 CFR 422.162), the bonus rating for a given year comes from the Star Ratings CMS published in October two years earlier. So the ratings released this October feed into payments for 2028.

Ratings can also move from year to year as CMS adjusts the score thresholds, called cut points, for each measure. A plan that holds steady on care can still see its rating move. If your plan's rating drops, ask why before you assume the care got worse.

What if your plan has low ratings?

If a plan is rated below 3 stars for three years in a row, Medicare flags it with a low-performing icon on Medicare.gov. People in that plan can use a special enrollment period to switch to a better-rated plan. Our guide to special enrollment periods explains how that one works, and how to switch Medicare plans covers the steps.

What can't Star Ratings tell you?

A rating doesn't know you. It can't tell you whether a plan:

• Covers your medications, and at what tier
• Includes your pharmacy at preferred pricing
• Has your doctors, specialists and hospital in its network for 2027
• Fits your budget in a bad year, with a hospital stay or surgery
• Has a deductible on the drugs you take

That's why a 3.5-star plan that covers everything you use can be a far better choice than a 4.5-star plan that doesn't. Plans, networks, premiums and benefits vary by county and change every year.

How do you check a plan's Star Rating?

Go to Medicare.gov's Plan Finder, enter your ZIP code, and compare plans. Each plan shows its overall rating, and you can click into the measure-by-measure scores. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TTY 1-877-486-2048), and ask for a plan's rating. Nebraska SHIP (1-800-234-7119) can walk you through Plan Finder at no cost.

Once the 2027 ratings post, our pages on top-rated Medicare Advantage companies in Nebraska and top-rated Part D plans in Nebraska will reflect them at the company level. The Medicare Advantage page explains how those plans work. If you'd like to compare ratings alongside your own drug list and doctors, talk to me.