Feeling Frustrated With Your Medicare Advantage Plan? You’re Not Alone — Member Satisfaction Fell For the Second Year

Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Part C, offer beneficiaries an alternative to original Medicare and have successfully enrolled millions of eligible Americans. However, 2026 was another tough year for Medicare Advantage plans and their customers, with many beneficiaries expressing their frustrations. Factors driving the dissatisfaction include narrower access to provider networks and higher prescription drug and outpatient care costs.

"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,” said Meaghan Hafner, senior director of healthcare solutions at JD Power.

J.D. Power's 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study showed a 12-point drop in overall customer satisfaction. The study highlighted sharp two-year declines across several key metrics, led by how well plans help members save time and money (down 51 points), member trust (down 49 points), and whether coverage offerings meet member needs (down 47 points).

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Medicare Advantage programs that scored well excelled in onboarding and communication, according to the J.D. Power Study.

Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment has surged over the past two decades — growing from just 19% of eligible beneficiaries in 2007 to 54% in 2025, and reaching 55% in 2026. Today, MA plans cover 35 million of the 62.8 million beneficiaries enrolled in both Medicare Parts A and B. While enrollment expanded at a fast 9% annual rate between 2007 and 2024, growth has since slowed. Plans added 1 million subscribers in February 2026, representing a more modest 3% increase. Notably, most of the growth (83%) was from Special Needs Plans (SNPs) — tailored for individuals with chronic conditions, complex healthcare needs, or dual Medicaid eligibility.

What Medicare Advantage plans offer

Unlike original Medicare — government-run insurance — MA plans are administered by private insurance companies. These plans cover the same benefits as original Medicare and typically include extra coverage, such as out-of-pocket maximums, dental or hearing exams, and fitness benefits. Most Medicare Advantage plans also include prescription drug coverage at no additional cost to the beneficiary.

In 2026, the out-of-pocket limit for MA plans cannot exceed $9,250 for in-network services and $13,900 for in-network and out-of-network services combined. Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket spending cap. However, MA plans have limited provider networks and use cost management tools such as prior authorization, which traditional Medicare generally does not. Notably, in 2026, original Medicare began testing out an AI-powered prior authorization plan in six states.

What Medicare Advantage enrollees like (and don't like) about their plans

The 2026 J.D. Power U.S. Medicare Advantage Study measured customer satisfaction among plan enrollees. This year's results reflect how recent policy shifts have affected member care and out-of-pocket costs. Overall satisfaction dropped for the second consecutive year, driven primarily by a 51-point decline in members feeling their plan helps save time and money, followed by a 49-point drop in overall trust.

“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,” said Hafner.

Key findings of the 2026 study:

• What drives customer satisfaction: Respondents gave MA plans an overall customer satisfaction score of 611 (on a 1,000-point scale). This is a 12-point drop from last year's score of 623. The top drivers of customer satisfaction for top plans are new member onboarding and communication. New members who say they understand their coverage: 34% responded that their insurer helps prepare them for the unexpected, and 29% felt their insurer anticipates their needs. These numbers drop to 17% and 16% respectively for new members who say they do not understand their coverage.
• Increased costs drive satisfaction decline: A 51-point drop in members saying that MA plans help them save time and money was the primary cause of the decline in customer satisfaction. Factors such as declining trust (down 49 points) and product/coverage offerings meeting needs (down 47 points) were among the issues highlighted in this year’s study.
• Special needs plans (SNPs) deliver customer satisfaction: SNPs serve those with severe/chronic illnesses, who reside in an institution, or who qualify for dual eligibility. These plans score higher with beneficiaries as they provide more care coordination and personal guidance.

Overall customer satisfaction index ratings for Medicare Advantage plans in surveyed states

Advantage subscribers in Tennessee (690), Pennsylvania (646), and North Carolina (624) reported the highest satisfaction levels among the 12 states surveyed, with Tennessee topping the list. On the downside, New York (593), Illinois (607), and Ohio (609) scored the lowest overall, with New York ranking the lowest.

Blue Cross Blue Shield plans topped the overall satisfaction rating for four states (Illinois, Michigan, New York and Tennessee). UnitedHealthcare was second with top ratings in three states (Florida, Georgia and North Carolina). Humana finished last in six states (California, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania).

How the study was conducted:

The 12th annual U.S. Medicare Advantage Study, measures member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans — also known as Medicare Part — based on eight factors (in order of importance): level of trust; able to get health services how/when I want; helping to save me time or money; product/coverage offerings meet my needs; ease of doing business; people — representatives, call center agents; resolving problems or complaints; and digital channels.

The 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study is based on the responses of 14,559 members of Medicare Advantage plans in 12 market-based U.S. regions: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. It was fielded from January through June 2026.

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