CMS Removed 11 Quality Measures From Medicare Advantage Star Ratings for 2027 and Dropped a Health Equity Bonus Program

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule on April 2, 2026, making the most sweeping changes to the Star Ratings system in several years.

Under the rule, CMS removed 11 measures from the Star Ratings calculations beginning with the 2027 measurement period. Revised ratings will inform bonus payments starting in 2029. Six of the removed measures applied only to Medicare Advantage plans, one applied only to Part D drug plans, and three applied to both. CMS said most dropped measures focused on administrative processes rather than clinical outcomes or patient experience.

The rule also reverses a health equity initiative from the prior administration. The Health Equity Index, later renamed Excellent Health Outcomes for All, was designed to award bonus points to plans that perform well among enrollees with social risk factors, including low-income beneficiaries, dual-eligible members, and people with disabilities. CMS chose not to implement it and instead retained the existing Reward Factor, which increases payments to consistently high-performing plans regardless of their enrollee mix.

In its regulatory analysis, CMS projects the combined changes will transfer approximately 18.5 billion dollars more to Medicare Advantage and Part D plan sponsors over the next ten years compared with the prior system.

Star ratings matter to consumers because they determine which plans qualify for bonus payments. Bonus money can fund the supplemental benefits, lower premiums, and reduced cost sharing that distinguish many Medicare Advantage plans.