Star ratings are just 1 way to compare Medicare Advantage plans when you’re shopping for coverage. Learn more about Star ratings and how they might help you choose.
Medicare Star Ratings explained
2-minute readPublished 11/26/2024Updated 11:15 AM EST, 01/24/2025
What are Medicare Star ratings?
Each year, Medicare reviews
How do Medicare Star ratings work?
When determining Star ratings, Medicare uses information from member satisfaction surveys, health plans and healthcare providers.
How are Star ratings determined?
The rating system uses more than 40 different quality measures across multiple categories including:
- Customer service
- Member experience
- Staying healthy (screenings, tests and vaccines)
- Managing chronic conditions
- Drug safety and accuracy of drug pricing
- Getting appointments and care quickly
- Member complaints
- Members choosing to leave their plan
Learn more about Medicare
Get more with a Medicare Advantage plan
Medicare Advantage plans help expand your Medicare coverage beyond Original Medicare, often with extra benefits. Explore Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans in your area today!
2-minute readPublished 11/26/2024Updated 11:15 AM EST, 01/24/2025
What do Star ratings measure?
Here are just a few things Star ratings can show you.
How current members rated the plan
Did the Medicare plan provider make it easy for them to get the care they needed, when they needed it? Was customer service helpful and courteous on the phone?
How a plan performed based on industry standards
Were members able to take advantage of preventive care their plans provide, like
How the plans you’re interested in compare to each other
Once you’ve narrowed down your plan choices, comparing their Star ratings may help you make a final decision.
Why are Medicare Star ratings important?
The federal Medicare program provides financial rewards to insurers for highly rated plans. Insurers may use those rewards to reduce member premiums, copays, deductibles or to beef up a plan’s added benefits. So a 4- or 5-Star plan may include extras like dental, vision and hearing coverage. And that additional coverage may help lower your out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Start with what matters most to you
In 2024, the typical shopper had 43 Medicare Advantage plans available to them.1 That’s a lot to sort through!
Here are just a few things to consider when choosing your Medicare coverage:
- Is your doctor in the plan’s network?
- Are the drugs you’re taking included in the list of covered drugs?
- Are there preferred cost-sharing pharmacies in your area?
- Is the plan affordable?
Once you’ve answered the big questions and narrowed down your plan choices, you might want to consider the Star rating Medicare has assigned to each plan.
2-minute readPublished 11/26/2024Updated 11:15 AM EST, 01/24/2025
Source
- Meredith Freed et al.,
“Medicare Advantage 2024 Spotlight: First Look,” Kaiser Family Foundation, last accessed Oct. 30, 2024