The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday released Star ratings ahead of Medicare open enrollment. Seventy-four Medicare Advantage plans received the highest rating of 5 stars.
CMS on Friday released the 2022 Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to help people with Medicare compare plans ahead of Medicare open enrollment, which kicks off on October 15 and ends Dec. 7.
During open enrollment, Medicare beneficiaries can compare coverage options like Original Medicare and MA and choose health and drug plans for 2022. MA and Part D plan costs and covered benefits can change from year to year, so Medicare beneficiaries should look at their coverage choices and decide on the options that best meet their health needs.
RISE will dig deeper into the Star ratings results in future articles but here are some of the highlights, according to a CMS fact sheet:
5-star plans
- A total of 87 contracts earned 5 stars
- Among the 5-star plans: 74 are MA-PD contracts, 3 are 1876 Cost contracts, and 10 are PDPs
- Sixty of the contracts in 2022 did not receive the highest rating in 2021
No consistently low performers this year
CMS said there are no contracts identified on the Medicare Plan Finder with a low performance icon for consistently low-quality ratings. Last year, one contract received this warning.
Overall Star ratings weighted by enrollment for MA contracts offering prescription drug (PD) coverage from 2019 to 2022
- Approximately 68 percent of MA-PDs (322 contracts) that will be offered in 2022 earned 4 stars or higher for their 2022 overall rating
- Weighted by enrollment, approximately 90 percent of MA-PD enrollees are currently in contracts that will have 4 or more stars in 2022
Trend in the average Part D Ratings weighted by enrollment for standalone PDPs from 2019 to 2022
- Approximately 54 percent of PDPs (29 contracts) that will be active in 2022 received 4 or more stars for their 2022 Part D Rating
- Weighted by enrollment, about 42 percent of PDP enrollees are in contracts with 4 or more stars
Learn more at the 12th Annual RISE Star Ratings Master Class for Dec. 14-15 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. The class offers a deep dive into how to improve your plan's Star ratings with content curated for all professionals from MA health plans that touch quality measures. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination required for all attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and RISE staff.