What Medicare Part D Star Ratings Mean — and How to Read Them Like a Pro

Created by Melinda Caughill, Modified on Tue, 2 Dec, 2025 at 3:47 PM by Melinda Caughill

HeyMOE Tip:

In today’s Medicare landscape, HeyMOE treats a 3.5-star plan is a rock star — the “A student” of Part D. A 3-star plan is strong and reliable. Even a 2.5-star plan can be a great value.Star ratings aren’t everything, but they’re a helpful tie-breaker when two plans are otherwise neck and neck.

What Are Part D Star Ratings?

Medicare gives every Part D prescription drug plan a Star Rating — a quick, 1-to-5-star snapshot of how well that plan performs.
Think of it as a school report card for insurance companies.

These ratings are based on how the plan performs in several key areas, such as:

Customer service: How well the plan handles questions, problems, and appeals.
Member experience: How easy it is to use the plan, get prescriptions filled, and resolve issues.
Patient safety & accuracy: Whether prescriptions are filled correctly and safely.
Managing chronic conditions: Whether members receive appropriate follow-up and care.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) releases updated star ratings every year, based on survey data, complaints, and plan performance metrics.

The Reality of 2025 Star Ratings

Here’s the thing: in the 2025 plan year, no Medicare Part D plans received a 5-star rating. None. Zero. Zip.

There also aren’t any 4.5-star plans — and only two or three 4-star plans exist nationwide.

That means most plans fall between 2.5 and 3.5 stars, and that’s perfectly normal.

Here’s how we translate Star Rating at HeyMOE:

CMS Star Rating	HeyMOE “Report Card” Analogy	What That Means	2025 Availability*
★★★★★	The Unicorns	Best-in-class performance across the board.	None
★★★★½	Almost Perfect	Exceptional plans with top marks nearly everywhere.	None
★★★★☆	The Overachievers	Excellent performance; smooth member experience.	Very few (≈2–3 nationwide)
★★★½☆	The “A” Students	Strong overall performance; reliable choice.	Common
★★★☆☆	The “B” Students	Solid and dependable; used by many members.	Common
★★½☆☆	The “C” Students	Passing and often fine, but not top of the class.	Common
★★☆☆☆	Needs Improvement	Consider paying a bit more for a higher-rated plan—especially if you need Prior Authorization.	Present
★½☆☆☆	Low Performers	Potential service/coverage friction; review carefully.	Rare
★☆☆☆☆	Bottom of the Class	Significant issues; usually not recommended.	Rare
For 2026, there are no 5-star* or 4.5-star Part D plans, and only two or three 4-star plans nationwide.

When Star Ratings Matter Most

HeyMOE Tip:

A better star rating is NOT a guarantee that you will have a better experience on one plan over another.
A better star rating does NOT guarantee that you'll get prior authorization for medications that require it.
In fact, a better star rating is NOT a guarantee of anything.

In general, a plan’s star rating won’t make or break your coverage. But star ratings can matter more in certain situations, like:

When Your Medications Require Prior Authorization (PA)
Prior Authorization means your plan must approve a medication before you can fill it.
If your plan has a low score on “Ease of Getting Prescriptions Filled,” you could run into delays or headaches with that PA process.
So if your medications need prior authorization and you’re comparing a 2-star plan to a 3.5-star plan, that higher rating might save you time, stress, and phone calls later.
When You Want Hassle-Free Service
Higher-rated plans tend to have smoother customer service and fewer member complaints — an important perk if you ever need to appeal a coverage decision or track down a missing refill.

BOTTOM LINE:

A plan with a low star rating impacts your plan choice when:

A plan with a higher star rating is available .... AND
That plan delivers a total out-of-pocket cost that is within your comfort level of paying more.

Example: You're recommended "PLAN A" with an overall 3 star rating but a 1 star rating for customer service. "PLAN B" has an overall star rating of 3.5 stars and a 2 star rating for customer service, but "PLAN B" is $450 more per year. For some people, this will be worth it to have a better star rating, esepcially if they have a medication that requires step therapy or prior authorization. But, for other people, it will not be worth it.

Melinda's expert recommendation: Paying about $400 more per year in total out-of-pocket costs for a plan that has a critical star rating of 2 stars or higher than the lowest total out-of-pocket cost plan is worth it (assuming you can afford it) when prior authorization/step therapy is required.