Medicare Advantage

How CMS publishes Medicare Star Ratings for Fallon plans

FALLON, Nev. — Every fall, just as Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period gets underway, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes fresh Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. The 2027 ratings landed ahead of the October 15 enrollment window, and if you live in Fallon or anywhere in Churchill County, you'll see those little star icons attached to plans on Medicare's Plan Finder. Here's a plain-language look at what those stars actually measure — and what they don't.

What Star Ratings actually measure

Star Ratings are CMS's way of scoring plan quality on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the highest. They are not a price tag, a ranking, or a recommendation. Instead, they roll up dozens of measures into a single overall score for each contract.

For Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage, ratings look at roughly 40 measures across categories like:

• Staying healthy — how often members get screenings, vaccines, and check-ups.
• Managing chronic conditions — how well the plan supports members with diabetes, heart disease, and similar concerns.
• Member experience — survey responses about ease of getting care and appointments.
• Member complaints and changes in performance — including how often members leave the plan.
• Customer service — how the plan handles appeals and calls.
• Drug plan performance — accuracy of pricing, medication safety, and adherence for common prescriptions.

Stand-alone Part D drug plans are rated on a smaller set of measures focused on drug safety, customer service, and pricing accuracy.

How and when the ratings are published

CMS releases Star Ratings once a year, typically in early October, so the new numbers are visible on medicare.gov before the Annual Enrollment Period opens on October 15. The ratings you see this fall are the 2027 Star Ratings, based on data collected during the prior measurement year.

You can look them up two ways:

• On the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, where each plan listing shows an overall star score.
• In each plan's official documents, which display the star rating alongside the plan's other details.

Ratings can go up or down from year to year, so a plan's 2027 score may differ from what it earned in 2026.

What Star Ratings do not tell you

This is where a lot of people get tripped up. A high star score does not automatically mean a plan is the right fit for you, and a lower score does not mean a plan is a bad choice. The ratings don't reflect:

• Whether your specific doctors or hospitals are in the network.
• Whether your prescriptions are on the plan's formulary and at what tier.
• Your monthly premium, deductible, or out-of-pocket costs.
• Extra benefits that may or may not matter to you personally.

Because of that, CMS itself frames Star Ratings as one tool among several when you're comparing coverage — not a shortcut that replaces your own research.

How to use ratings during this fall's enrollment window

Fallon is in Churchill County, where Medicare beneficiaries can choose Original Medicare, add a stand-alone Part D drug plan, or shop the Medicare Advantage plans offered in the county. Whichever route you take, the same enrollment dates apply:

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in an Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.

A sensible way to use Star Ratings is to first narrow your choices based on your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget — then use star scores as a tiebreaker or a quality check on the finalists.

2027 program facts worth knowing while you compare

Star Ratings aren't the only thing changing this year. A few program-wide numbers to keep in mind as you shop for 2027 coverage:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026. Once you hit that spending limit on covered drugs, you pay nothing more for them the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone — Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly bills instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — the income-based surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums — begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Where to get unbiased help in Fallon

If comparing plans feels overwhelming, you don't have to do it alone. Free, unbiased help is available:

• medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder and coverage information.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7 help from Medicare itself.
• Nevada SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — trained local counselors who can walk you through your options one-on-one, at no cost.