Star Ratings Surge Could Disrupt the Market During Special Enrollment Period

The pandemic-fueled boom in 5-star rated Medicare Advantage contracts could cause “significant market disruption” in 2022, suggests a new report from Wakely. In an analysis of enrollment data from CMS, the actuarial consulting firm found that 5-star contracts account for 19% to 30% of MA intra-year enrollment growth (i.e., enrollment gains occurring between February and December of a particular year), with 5-star contracts growing between 3.8% and 5.1% midyear. Since 5-star plans have the advantage of marketing their products all year long and enrolling members who qualify for the 5-star special enrollment period, the major increase in the number of available 5-star plans has the potential to create unprecedented enrollment shifts later this year. The report warned, however, that midyear plan switchers may have a less-than-favorable risk profile.

© 2025 MMIT
Carina Belles

Carina Belles

Carina has been covering public-sector health care since 2018. As a data reporter for Radar on Medicare Advantage, she creates infographics and data stories on issues impacting Medicare, Medicaid and Part D. She also develops AIS Health Daily, a free daily newsletter that showcases AIS’s strong reporting across our four publications and parent company Norstella’s suite of market access and data solutions. Prior to joining the editorial team, she managed Medicare and Medicaid data for the Directory of Health Plans, AIS’s industry-standard health coverage database. She graduated from Ohio University with a B.S. in Journalism.

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