Why You Should Care About Medicare Star Ratings
October 25, 2023 | Tags:
When it comes to shopping for Medicare Advantage plans, you’re likely weighing benefits and costs, but don’t forget to keep your eyes on the Stars, too — the Medicare Star ratings, that is.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awards Star ratings to Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans each year. Plans receive 1 to 5 Stars, with 5 being the highest rating.
Star ratings are based on several factors, including customer service, member satisfaction and quality of care. In essence, Star ratings tell you about the quality of a plan. Each plan is rated against the same criteria, so it’s a good way to see how plans compare. The higher the Star rating, the higher a plan’s quality.
A savvy Medicare Advantage shopper will take Star ratings into consideration, because at the end of the day, we all want the best coverage and quality of care possible for our money.
How Medicare Star Ratings Work
Every year when CMS evaluates Medicare Advantage plans, the ratings measure the quality of services plan members receive. Each plan gets an overall rating, plus ratings in several subcategories that can help you look at the quality in specific areas.
The subcategories are:
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Staying healthy: Measures whether members received annual checkups and various screenings and vaccines.
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Managing chronic conditions: Measures how often members with certain conditions, such as diabetes, received the recommended tests and treatments.
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Customer service: Measures how well the plan handles customer requests, appeals and enrollments.
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Member experience: Members rate their overall experience with a plan.
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Plan performance: Measures how often members have problems with a plan and how much a plan’s performance improved year over year.
Medical Mutual's 2024 Medicare Star Ratings
At Medical Mutual, we are committed to quality, and you can see that in our Medicare Star ratings. Our Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans earned 4.5 Stars for 2024. These outstanding ratings mean our plans are helping our members stay healthy and they have access to high-quality healthcare providers.
How to Use Medicare Star Ratings When Looking for a Plan
When you’re shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan, it’s important to consider Star ratings along with a health plan’s cost, provider network and list of covered drugs when choosing the best plan for you. Why? Your health matters and plans with low Star ratings are generally associated with poor health outcomes.
The great news is that many Medicare Advantage plans are quite affordable and premiums start as low as $0 per month. You can view all plans available in your area and compare their ratings by visiting the Plan Finder on Medicare.gov.
You can secure your Medicare coverage for January 2024 by joining MedMutual Advantage 4.5-Star HMO or PPO plan during the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs through Dec. 7, 2023.
MedMutual Advantage plans are HMO and PPO plans offered by Medical Mutual of Ohio with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in a MedMutual Advantage plan depends on contract renewal. Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system.