Humana’s Medicare Benefit star rankings slip for 2026

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• Humana could have 20% of its Medicare Benefit members in plans rated 4 stars or above in 2026, down barely from 2025 however in keeping with inner expectations, the insurer disclosed Thursday.

• Humana — the second largest MA provider within the nation — did see an enchancment in members in plans rated 4.5 stars or above. Subsequent yr, 14% of Humana’s MA members shall be in these extremely rated plans, up from 3% in 2025.

• Humana’s common star ranking of three.61 is roughly secure yr over yr. The insurer, which has been working to enhance its rankings, mentioned it was unhappy with the outcomes. Nonetheless, Humana’s inventory rose about 3% in Thursday’s commerce following its disclosure.

It’s busy season for insurance coverage market watchers, with the CMS releasing extra data on the Medicare Benefit panorama for the approaching yr — together with by mistake.

On Wednesday, regulators printed extra detailed data on MA plan choices for 2026 and inadvertantly launched some star rankings information, main Humana to file its personal disclosure to traders, the insurer mentioned.

Although Humana’s common star ranking remained primarily unchanged, the outcomes are total seemingly disappointing for the insurer. That’s as a result of the proportion of MA members in plans rated 4 stars or larger dropped from 25% this yr.

To place that additional into context, Humana had 94% of members in plans rated at the least 4 stars in 2024.

Reaching that threshold is vital for insurers within the privatized Medicare program. Plans that obtain an total ranking of 4 or larger obtain larger bonus funds. Larger scores additionally end in bigger rebates if plans submit bids beneath the CMS’ benchmark for the approaching yr.

Humana expects to lose billions of {dollars} in income because of the star rankings drop from 2024 to 2025, so an additional dip for 2026 received’t assist.

“Whereas the Firm will not be happy with its 2026 Star Rankings, it’s happy with the tactical operational enhancements made through the closing months of the 2026 measurement interval, making a strong basis for the Firm’s anticipated return to Prime Quartile outcomes for the 2027 Star Rankings,” Humana mentioned in its securities submitting

Together with suing the federal government in a bid to enhance its scores, Humana has hustled to enhance its rankings by closing gaps in care, rising member outreach and investing in know-how, in response to govt feedback.