Medicare Advantage

Brandon, MS: Medicare Star Ratings for 2027

BRANDON, Miss. — As Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, one number keeps showing up next to plan names on Medicare.gov: a star rating. The 2027 ratings were published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this fall, and they're meant to help you judge quality — not to tell you which plan to pick.

Here in Brandon, where many neighbors are comparing coverage for the year ahead, it's worth slowing down and understanding what those little stars actually measure before they drive a big decision.

Where Star Ratings come from

Star Ratings are produced by CMS, the federal agency that runs Medicare. Each year, CMS reviews data from Medicare Advantage plans and standalone Part D drug plans and gives each contract an overall score from 1 star (poor) to 5 stars (excellent), in half-star steps.

The ratings are refreshed every fall and posted on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder so people can see them during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31).

What the stars actually measure

For Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage, CMS looks at roughly 40 different measures grouped into big categories:

• Staying healthy — screenings, tests, and vaccines members receive.
• Managing chronic conditions — how well the plan helps people with diabetes, heart disease, and other ongoing needs.
• Member experience — survey results about getting care and dealing with the plan.
• Member complaints and changes in performance — how often members leave, file complaints, or have problems.
• Customer service — how the plan handles appeals, calls, and questions.
• Drug plan measures — accurate pricing, medication safety, and adherence for common conditions.

Standalone Part D plans are rated only on the drug-related categories.

What Star Ratings are not

This is where people in Rankin County — and everywhere else — can trip up. Star Ratings are a quality signal, not a personalized recommendation.

A 4-star plan is not automatically better for you than a 3.5-star plan. The ratings don't know:

• Which doctors and hospitals you use.
• Which prescriptions you take.
• Whether a plan's pharmacy network fits your routine.
• What your total yearly costs would look like.

Two people in the same ZIP code can look at the same star rating and reasonably choose different plans.

How to use ratings without making a mistake

A few grounded ways to put Star Ratings in their proper place:

1. Start with your needs, not the stars. List your doctors, your medications, and the pharmacies you actually use. 2. Use Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Enter your drugs and providers first, then look at ratings as a tie-breaker among plans that already fit. 3. Look at the categories, not just the overall number. A plan may score higher on customer service than on chronic-condition care, or vice versa. 4. Remember ratings can move. CMS updates them yearly, so last year's number isn't a guarantee.

Why timing matters this fall

The 2027 ratings landed alongside other important changes worth keeping in mind while you compare coverage:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 for 2026 and $700 for 2027.
• The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you choose.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Brandon is in Rankin County, where plan availability — and therefore the plans you'll see rated — is set at the county level. If you move or your county changes, your options and their ratings can change too.

Where to get real answers

Star Ratings are a starting point, not the finish line. For personalized help:

• Visit Medicare.gov to compare plans available in Rankin County.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Contact Mississippi SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) for free, unbiased counseling from trained local volunteers.