STARS / FOUNDATIONS
A practical guide to Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings: what they measure, how to read them, and where improvement begins.
CMS Stars brings clinical quality, medication use, member experience, and plan operations into a shared view. Start with the meaning of the rating before using it to set a target.
CMS publishes annual quality ratings for Medicare health and drug plans. Measure-level ratings use a one-to-five-star scale. These are quality signals to consider alongside benefits and costs, rather than a substitute for understanding a plan’s coverage.
CMS · 2026 Star Ratings fact sheet ↗For 2026, MA-PD contracts can have up to 43 measures, MA-only contracts up to 33, and standalone prescription drug contracts up to 12. A Part D summary and an MA-PD overall rating answer different questions.
CMS · 2026 Star Ratings fact sheet ↗The 2026 Star Ratings inform 2027 MA quality bonus payments. The Star Year, the period used to measure performance, and the payment year are different labels. Keep each one attached to a result when comparing reports.
CMS · 2026 Star Ratings fact sheet ↗Use this educational workspace to turn the guide into a practical conversation with your team.
Open the companion field guide ↗When the underlying performance happened. Check each measure’s period.
The named Star Ratings edition used in this guide.
The MA quality-bonus payment year linked to 2026 ratings.
Use the CMS technical notes for each measure’s exact time window. There is no single measurement period that safely describes every measure.
A focused, four-step working guide for quality teams.
Read the field guide ↗Annual cut-point refresh and broader Part C trend analysis are roadmap work. Upcoming features are described separately from educational guidance.
No. This guide covers Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings. Hospital, nursing-home, and other quality rating programs have separate methods. Always name the CMS program when searching for a measure.
Use quality as one part of your comparison. Check the plan’s provider network, formulary, coverage rules, benefits, and costs for your own circumstances. The official Medicare Plan Finder is the place to compare available coverage.
No. The other measures, applicable weights, cut points, and adjustment rules also affect the result. A local improvement is useful evidence, but a projection must remain a projection.
