About half of the thresholds that determine Medicare Advantage star ratings became harder to reach for 2027, according to draft figures the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released this week as part of its preview process. Roughly a third were unchanged, and 17% became easier, based on analysis reported by Healthcare Dive from the consultancy Newton Smith Group.
These are draft numbers. CMS announces official star ratings in early October, days before Medicare's annual enrollment period opens on October 15, and the agency typically leaves room for plans to flag calculation errors before then, though the thresholds themselves rarely move much between preview and final release.
