Medicare Advantage

Medicare Star Ratings: what they measure in Montgomery

Montgomery County has 73 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 4 plans are not coming back, 15 are new, and 23 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 6 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Montgomery, not which plan to pick.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — With the fall Annual Enrollment Period running Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has once again refreshed its Medicare Star Ratings — the yearly report card the federal government publishes on Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans. If you live in Montgomery and are weighing your options this season, understanding what those stars actually measure can help you read plan information with a clearer eye.

What Star Ratings Are

Star Ratings are a quality measurement system run by CMS. Each fall, before the Annual Enrollment Period begins, CMS releases updated ratings for Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) and standalone prescription drug plans (Part D). Plans are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the highest.

The ratings are meant to give people with Medicare — and their families — a consistent way to compare plans on quality, not just on price or benefits.

What the Stars Actually Measure

CMS looks at dozens of separate measures and rolls them into an overall score. Broadly, the measures fall into these areas:

• Staying healthy: whether members receive recommended screenings, vaccines, and check-ups.
• Managing chronic conditions: how well plans support members living with diabetes, heart disease, and similar issues.
• Member experience: survey results on how members feel about their plan and their care.
• Member complaints and changes in performance: how often people leave the plan, file complaints, or have problems getting needed care.
• Customer service: how the plan handles appeals, calls, and access to information.

For Part D drug coverage, CMS also looks at drug pricing accuracy, patient safety, and how well the plan supports safe medication use.

When and Where Ratings Are Published

New Star Ratings are posted each October on Medicare.gov, in time for the Annual Enrollment Period. When you use the Plan Finder tool at Medicare.gov and search by your Montgomery ZIP code, the star score appears alongside each plan available in your area.

Montgomery is in Montgomery County, where plan availability is set at the county level — so the plans and ratings you see will match what other Montgomery County residents see, not necessarily what someone in an adjoining county sees.

How to Use Stars Without Overusing Them

Star Ratings are one useful signal — but they are not the only thing to weigh. A high rating does not automatically mean a plan fits your doctors, your prescriptions, or your budget. Likewise, a lower rating on one measure does not tell the whole story of your experience.

When you compare plans this fall, it helps to look at stars alongside:

• Whether your doctors and preferred hospitals are in the plan's network.
• Whether your regular prescriptions are on the plan's drug list.
• The plan's total expected costs, including premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing.
• How the plan handles referrals, prior authorization, and travel outside the area.

A Few 2026 & 2027 Program Facts Worth Knowing

While you're reviewing plans, keep these federal Medicare figures in mind:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100. Once your drug spending hits that limit, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three simpler phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments, at no extra charge.
• IRMAA income-related surcharges for Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Key Dates for Montgomery Residents

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
• Jan. 1 – Mar. 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.