Medicare Advantage

What Medicare Star Ratings Mean Before You Enroll

For 2027, Strongsville is looking at 99 Medicare Advantage plans: 18 new, 31 gone since 2026, and 37 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 6 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Cuyahoga County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — With the fall Medicare Annual Enrollment Period running from October 15 through December 7, many local residents are opening mailers and seeing "star ratings" attached to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. Those stars are refreshed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) each fall, and they can be a helpful tool — as long as you know what they actually measure.

What Star Ratings actually measure

Medicare Star Ratings are CMS's yearly quality report card for Medicare Advantage (Part C) and standalone Part D drug plans. Plans are scored from 1 star (poor) to 5 stars (excellent).

The rating is built from dozens of measures grouped into a few broad areas:

• Staying healthy — how well the plan supports screenings, tests and vaccines.
• Managing chronic conditions — care for things like diabetes and heart disease.
• Member experience — what current members say in surveys.
• Member complaints and changes in performance — how often members leave, file complaints, or have problems getting needed care.
• Customer service — how the plan handles appeals and calls.

Part D plans are also scored on drug pricing accuracy, drug safety, and member experience with the pharmacy benefit.

When the ratings come out — and why fall matters

CMS publishes updated Star Ratings each October on Medicare.gov, timed to the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), October 15 – December 7. Any coverage choice you make during AEP takes effect January 1.

If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 – March 31 to make a one-time switch. Star Ratings stay posted year-round, but the fall release is the version tied to the plan year you're choosing.

How to use the stars without being misled

Star Ratings are a useful signal, but they are not a personal recommendation. A 4-star plan may still not cover the doctor, hospital or specific medication you rely on. A newer plan may not have enough data to be rated at all.

A more balanced way to use the stars:

1. Look at the overall score, but also peek at the category scores that matter to you (for example, customer service or managing a chronic condition). 2. Check that your doctors and preferred pharmacies are in-network. 3. Confirm your prescriptions are on the plan's drug list. 4. Compare total expected costs, not just the premium.

2027 Part D changes to keep in mind

Star Ratings aren't the only thing changing this fall. A few program-wide Part D updates for 2027 are worth knowing as you compare coverage:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026. Once you hit it, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no more than $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs into monthly payments at no added charge.
• IRMAA income-related surcharges on Part B and Part D start above $109,000 for single filers in 2026.

What this looks like in Strongsville

Strongsville is in Cuyahoga County, where Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set at the county level by CMS. That means neighbors in Strongsville, Parma and Cleveland generally see the same menu of plan options on Medicare.gov — 93 Medicare Advantage plans from 16 carriers for 2027 — each carrying its own Star Rating for the 2027 plan year.

For personalized help sorting through those options — free and without a sales pitch — Ohio residents can contact the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP), the state's SHIP. Trained counselors can walk through your specific doctors, drugs and budget with you.