The short answer
Medicare gives every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan a quality rating from one to five stars, updated each year. The rating summarizes how the plan performs on things like member experience, customer service, and how well it manages members' care and complaints. Higher stars generally signal a better-run plan.
Star ratings are a useful tiebreaker, and there's a bonus feature: a 5-star plan comes with a special enrollment opportunity most people don't know about.
What the stars measure
The ratings pull together dozens of measures — how members rate the plan, how quickly it handles appeals and complaints, how well it supports preventive care and chronic-condition management, and the accuracy of its customer service. A high rating doesn't guarantee the plan fits you, but it does say the plan tends to treat members well.
Think of stars as a quality signal layered on top of the fundamentals. A 4- or 5-star plan that also covers your doctors and drugs is a strong sign; a low-rated plan is worth a second look even if the premium is attractive.
The 5-star special enrollment period
Here's the perk: if a 5-star Medicare Advantage or Part D plan is available in your area, you generally get a special enrollment period to switch into it once during the year, outside the normal windows. It's Medicare's way of rewarding top-rated plans and letting you move to one.
So if a 5-star plan is offered where you live and it fits your needs, you're not locked out until fall. Our guide to the 5-star special enrollment period explains how to use it, and our plan comparison helps you weigh quality alongside cost and network.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Medicare star ratings measure?
They summarize a plan's quality — member experience, customer service, appeals handling, and how well it supports preventive and chronic care — on a scale of one to five stars, updated yearly.
Should I pick a plan based on star ratings?
Use stars as a quality signal and tiebreaker, but choose primarily on whether the plan covers your doctors, prescriptions, and total costs. A high-rated plan that also fits your needs is ideal.
What is the 5-star special enrollment period?
If a 5-star Medicare Advantage or Part D plan is available where you live, you generally get a special enrollment period to switch into it once during the year, outside the normal windows.
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