CMS News
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11. 2017
Contact:
CMS Media Relations
(202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries
Medicare offers improved access to
high-quality health coverage
choices in 2018
Agency releases Star Ratings for 2018 health and drug plans
in advance of Medicare Open Enrollment
Today, the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Star Ratings for the
2018 Medicare health and drug plans. With the release of the Star
Ratings, people with Medicare will have improved access to high-quality
health choices for their Medicare coverage in 2018. This news comes on
the heels of the recent release of the benefit and
premium information for Medicare health and drug plans which shows that
there will be more health coverage choices and decreased premiums in
2018.
“Medicare is committed to
empowering seniors to choose high-quality health and drug plans that fit
their needs and the needs of their families,” said CMS Administrator
Seema Verma. “More high-quality choices mean improved quality care and
better customer service at lower cost. Medicare Open Enrollment begins
soon and the star ratings helps people with Medicare shop to find the
best choice possible.”
In 2018, people with Medicare
will have more choices and options for their Medicare coverage. Access to
the Medicare Advantage program remains strong. The number of Medicare
Advantage plans available to individuals to choose from across the
country is increasing from about 2,700 to more than 3,100 – and more than
85 percent of people with Medicare will have access to 10 or more
Medicare Advantage plans.
Most areas across the country
have Medicare Advantage and Part D plans with four or more stars. In
2018, approximately 73 percent of Medicare Advantage enrollees with
prescription drug coverage will be in plans with four and five stars.
Compared to 2017, approximately 69 percent of these enrollees were in
four and five star plans. Approximately 44 percent of Medicare Advantage
plans that offer prescription drug coverage will have an overall rating
of four stars or higher in 2018.
Medicare Part D prescription
drug plan enrollees are also benefiting from improved access to high-quality
plans. In 2018, approximately 47 percent of enrollees in stand-alone
prescription drug plans will be in plans with four and five stars.
Compared to 2017, approximately 41 percent of enrollees were in four or
five star plans. Approximately 52 percent of stand-alone prescription
drug plans will have a rating of four stars or higher in 2018.
CMS estimates that the
Medicare Advantage average monthly premium will decrease by $1.91 (about
6 percent) in 2018, from an average of $31.91 in 2017 to $30. More than
three-fourths (77 percent) of Medicare Advantage enrollees remaining in
their current plan will have the same or lower premium for 2018. CMS
previously announced that the average basic premium for a Medicare
prescription drug plan in 2018 is projected to decline to an estimated
$33.50 per month. This represents a decrease of approximately $1.20 below
the average basic premium of $34.70 in 2017. The Medicare prescription
drug plan average basic premium is projected to decline for the first
time since 2012.
The Star Ratings system helps
people with Medicare, their families, and their caregivers compare the
quality of health and drug plans being offered. Medicare health and drug
plans are given a rating on a 1 to 5 star scale, with 1 star representing
poor performance and 5 stars representing excellent performance. People
with Medicare can compare health coverage choices and the Star Ratings
through the online Medicare Plan Finder tool available at Medicare.gov (http://www.medicare.gov).
Medicare Open Enrollment for
2018 Medicare health and drug plans begins on October 15, 2017, and ends
December 7, 2017. Plan costs and covered benefits can change from year to
year. People with Medicare should look at their coverage choices and
decide the option that best fits their health needs. They can visit
Medicare.gov (http://www.medicare.gov), call
1-800-MEDICARE, or contact their State Health Insurance Assistance
Program (SHIP). Those people with Medicare who do not wish to change
their current coverage do not need to re-enroll in order to keep their
current coverage.
For more information on the
2018 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings, including a fact sheet,
please visit: http://go.cms.gov/partcanddstarratings.
For more information on the
premiums and costs of 2018 Medicare health and drug plans, please
visit: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-Drug-Coverage/PrescriptionDrugCovGenIn/index.html.
For a fact sheet on Medicare
Advantage and Part D in 2018, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-09-29.html.
For more information on
Medicare Open Enrollment, including state-by-state fact sheets, please
visit: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Reach-Out/Find-tools-to-help-you-help-others/Open-Enrollment-Outreach-and-Media-Materials.html.
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