87 Contracts Score 5 Stars on 2022 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings

Over nine in ten Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans (94.26 percent) received a 3.5 star rating or higher on the 2022 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings, with an average star rating of 4.37 stars, CMS announced.

CMS revealed that 87 contracts received a five-star rating. Sixty of these contracts had not received a five star rating the previous year. Of these, 74 were Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans.

In contrast, in 2019 over three-quarters of the Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans (78.72 percent) received a 3.5 star rating or above. That year, the average star rating totaling 4.06 stars. Nearly one in three Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans received a 3.5 star rating in the 2019 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings.

Three Medicare Advantage national average measure scores received a boost of more than two points from 2021 to 2022. 

The national average score on special needs plan care management improved by 2.87 points, jumping from a score of 69.86 to 72.74. Statin therapy for patients with cardiovascular disease rose more than two points to hit 83.32 and medication reconciliation post-discharge reached 66.93, an increase of 2.40 points.

However, around half of the measures dropped in score and six measures declined by more than two points. 

The national average scores for care for older adults – pain assessment, care for older adults – medication review, breast cancer screening, diabetes care – blood sugar controlled, diabetes care – eye exam, and osteoporosis management in women who had a fracture all dropped over two points. 

In particular, the osteoporosis management score saw a massive 8.39 point decline. Data from other surveys shows that problems with osteoporosis management are not restricted to Medicare Advantage plans, but that fully-insured employer-sponsored health plans with health savings accounts also tend to neglect this chronic condition.

Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans saw improvements overall in the ten additional measures that they receive, with five of the ten measures receiving a national average score that was higher than the 2021 national average by two points or more. For instance, the MTM program completion rate for CMR score jumped 6.46 points.

The 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings looked slightly different than in previous years due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the healthcare industry.

For example, CMS expanded the hold harmless provision, delayed implementation of measure cut point restrictions, and removed the following quality measures: improving or maintaining physical health and improving or maintaining mental health.

The 2022 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings represent an improvement from the 2021 scores.

For the 2021 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings, fewer Medicare Advantage plans received high scores, Avalere reported at the time. If beneficiaries stayed in their health plans from plan years 2020 to 2021, nearly a quarter of them would be in a Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plan with a star rating that dropped from the first year to the next.