397 counties get no Medicare Advantage star bonus for 2027
In 397 counties, CMS's 2027 county benchmark is the same for a Medicare Advantage plan with 4 stars or more as for a plan with no bonus. Those counties had 1,748,530 MA members in October 2026.
397 counties get no star bonus in their 2027 Medicare Advantage benchmark, CMS rate data show.
1,748,530 Medicare Advantage members lived in those counties in October 2026, per CMS enrollment data.
In each of the 397, a plan rated 4 stars or more gets the same county benchmark as a plan with no bonus.
The rates come from CMS’s 2027 MA Rate Book, released Apr. 6, 2026. Member counts come from CMS’s October 2026 enrollment by county.
What a star is worth elsewhere
The Rate Book covers 3,144 counties in the 50 states and DC. In the median county, a 4 star rating adds $60.16 a month to the benchmark, per the 2027 Rate Book.
In the 397, it adds $0.
CMS bases the 2027 bonus on the 2026 Star Ratings. The 2027 ratings set the bonuses for 2028.
The cap
CMS caps each county benchmark at what the pre ACA formula would set, per its 2027 Rate Announcement.
In all 397 counties, CMS’s 2027 rate is capped at the pre ACA rate. The cap is why the star bonus adds $0 there.
Commenters told CMS the cap keeps some plans from getting their full quality bonus. They asked CMS to lift it. CMS said it found no legal room to do that, per the Rate Announcement.
How we got these numbers
For every county, we compared two rates in the 2027 Rate Book. One has the 4 star bonus. One has no bonus.
We counted counties where the two match to the cent. Then we added up October 2026 Medicare Advantage members in those counties, from CMS enrollment by county.
Limits.
- The benchmark is the starting point for what CMS pays a plan. Bids, rebates and risk scores sit between the benchmark and the payment.
- CMS hides plan counts under 11 in a county. We left those members out.
- Enrollment is from October 2026. The rates are for 2027.
- This story uses national counts only. We left out the territories.
What it means for you
A plan’s star rating still shows when you compare plans. Open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, per Medicare.gov. Changes start Jan. 1.
Check a plan’s doctors, drugs and costs before you switch.
This story is general information from public sources. It is not insurance or enrollment advice, and we don’t recommend any plan or insurer.
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