Humana says 95% of its Medicare Advantage members are in 4-star plans for 2027, up from 20%
The 2027 ratings reverse two years of declines that Humana challenged in court. Across Medicare Advantage, 71% of drug plan enrollees are in 4-star or better contracts.
Humana said Oct 9 that 95% of its Medicare Advantage (MA) members are in plans rated 4 stars or higher for 2027, and 42% are in 4.5-star plans. The figures are the company’s own, based on the ratings CMS released Oct 8.
The share had fallen for two years. It dropped from 94% in 2024 to 25% in 2025, then to 20% for 2026, Fierce Healthcare reported.
Humana CEO Jim Rechtin wrote about the ratings on LinkedIn on Oct 21, in a post titled “A Comeback That Matters for Humana Members.” It opens: “Our Medicare Advantage Star Ratings reflect stronger quality and member experience, but the most meaningful results are the people who received needed care.”
The contracts
For 2027, Humana has six MA contracts rated 4.5 stars and 12 rated 4 stars, according to its release. That’s 11 more contracts at 4 stars or above than a year earlier. Its national standalone drug plan contract is rated 4.5 stars. No Humana contract is on CMS’s list of 15 five-star MA drug plan contracts for 2027. Humana says its scores improved across all measure categories.
The lawsuit
Humana sued over its 2025 ratings. It argued that CMS wrongly scored three call center test calls, and that those calls drove the drop, per Fierce Healthcare. A federal judge in Texas ruled for CMS in October 2025. Humana appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which docketed the case Dec 1, 2025. The public docket shows briefs filed through May 2026 and lists no ruling.
Against the market
Across all MA plans with drug coverage, about 71% of enrollees are in contracts rated 4 stars or higher for 2027, CMS said. By CMS’s enrollment-weighted table, the 2026 share was about 67%. Our AEP 2027 scorecard covers how insurers’ county footprints are changing this year.
The ratings appear on Medicare Plan Finder during open enrollment, which runs Oct 15 to Dec 7.
Why it matters
People shopping for 2027 coverage now see Humana’s plans at or above 4 stars, after two years below the market. The 95% is the company’s own count, and CMS’s fact sheet doesn’t give a per-insurer member share to compare it against.
Judi Health