What Do Healthcare Leaders Think About CMS’ Proposed Star Ratings Overhaul?

In recent years, there have been numerous lawsuits from Medicare Advantage plans against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over Star Ratings, including from SCAN Health Plan, Humana and Elevance. MA Star Ratings evaluate plan quality based on several measures, giving them a rating ranging from one to five stars.

Many of these lawsuits were tied to administrative measures that payers claim led to lower ratings for their plans. For instance, issues with customer service phone calls and foreign language interpreters.

Now, CMS is suggesting a major overhaul of the Star Ratings system, particularly around these administrative measures. This has generated mixed feelings among several healthcare stakeholders. Some say the changes will increase focus on patient outcomes, while oth