The government has publicly reported MA plan quality in the form of a star ratings system since 2007. Ratings range from one to a high of five stars based on plans’ calculated performance across dozens of measures relating to preventative care, chronic disease management, patient experience and more.
Medicare introduced the quality bonus program in 2012. The program links financial bonuses to commercial insurers’ quality performance in the increasingly popular MA program, which covers roughly 42% of all Medicare beneficiaries, as measured by star ratings.
