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Medicare Advantage member satisfaction lags for second consecutive year

Experts say poor member satisfaction and engagement have damaged overall consumer trust in their Medicare Advantage plans.

Sara Heath
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Published: 19 Aug 2026

Member satisfaction scores for Medicare Advantage are in a slump, with new figures from JD Power showing a decline for the second year in a row.

The report, based on survey responses from nearly 15,000 Medicare Advantage members, shows that member satisfaction is down 12 points this year over last, with a rating of 611 on a 1,000-point scale. Compared to 2024, member satisfaction is down 41 points.

That translates to overall poorer trust in the quality of Medicare Advantage plans, the report added. Fewer than half (43%) of respondents strongly agreed that their plan is a trusted partner in their health and wellness.

Members noted flagging performance across nearly every member experience domain, JD Power added, but some areas were worse than others. The biggest two-year declines were in the "Helping to Save Me time and Money" (down 51 points), "Level of Trust" (down 49 points) and "Product/Coverage Offerings Meet My Needs" (down 47 points) categories.

These trends might be the result of an increasingly complex landscape for Medicare Advantage plans, which must manage competing member and regulatory priorities, according to Meaghan Hafner, senior director of healthcare solutions at JD Power.

"Healthcare has grown increasingly complex and exceedingly costly, and Medicare Advantage plans are juggling these challenging market dynamics while trying to guide their members to the best outcomes," Hafner said in a press release.

However, there were some bright spots in the survey, with researchers identifying key traits that defined top-performing Medicare Advantage plans.

These plans are good at ensuring their members understand their benefits, which ultimately improves member trust. For example, among those who say they understand their coverage well, 34% said their insurer helps them prepare for the unexpected, and 29% said their insurer meets their needs.

Conversely, those who say they don't understand their coverage well don't feel protected by their plans. Only 17% said their plan helps them prepare for the unexpected, and only 16% said their plan meets their needs.

Top Medicare Advantage plans by state

The JD Power survey flagged a handful of top-performers in various states. They include the following:

  • Kaiser Permanente in California (665/1,000), closely followed by SCAN Health Plan (656/1,000)
  • UnitedHealthcare in Florida (621), followed by Humana (620) and Freedom Health (619)
  • UnitedHealthcare in Georgia (656), followed by Aetna Medicare (628)
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield in Illinois (638), followed by UnitedHealthcare (629)
  • Humana in Kentucky (625), followed by UnitedHealthcare (606)
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield in Michigan (676)
  • Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in New York (618), followed by Healthfirst (611)
  • UnitedHealthcare in North Carolina (645), followed by Humana (637)
  • Aetna Medicare in Ohio (639)
  • UPMC For Life in Pennsylvania (689), followed by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (659) and Aetna Medicare (647)
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield in Tennessee (690), followed by Humana (647)
  • Humana in Texas (641), followed by UnitedHealthcare (628) and Aetna Medicare (624)

Still, the overall downward trend in member satisfaction should be a wake-up call for Medicare Advantage plans, Hafner said. Health plans must consider strategies to support members and rebuild trust.

"While some stand-out performers are driving improvements in member satisfaction despite the challenges, the majority of plans are struggling to build a strong sense of patient advocacy and trust among their members," she said.

Sara Heath is an executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare Media, where she covers patient engagement, healthcare policy and health IT.

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