On October 8th, CMS released its 2021 Star Ratings. RxAnte has analyzed performance both for the industry as a whole and within our book of business. Ahead of our more detailed industry analysis to be released this coming week, here are 5 key takeaways at a glance.

1) There were fewer 4+ star contracts compared to last year. Overall, plans in the industry lost some ground on the percent of contracts with a 4+ Star Rating compared to the prior year (49% for 2021 Star Ratings vs 53% for 2020 Star Ratings).

2) Similarly, there was a decline in member enrollment in 4+ Star contracts. We observed a drop in the percent of members in 4+ Star contracts (76% for 2021 vs. 81% for 2020).

3) Of the 395 contracts with an MAPD rating for both 2021 and 2020 star performance years, in performance year 2021, 65 (16%) earned higher overall ratings; 85 (22%) earned lower overall ratings; and 245 (62%) maintained the same rating.

4) Our highest performing clients outperformed their high-performing industry peers. RxAnte clients’ 4+ star managed contracts outpaced their peer 4- and 5-star plans in improvement across all triple-weighted adherence measures.

5) RxAnte-managed contracts improved at 2x the rate of the industry. Triple-weighted measures managed by RxAnte improved at twice the rate of the industry for 2021 Star Ratings.

Overall, 2021 Star Rating cut points proved to be challenging as the majority of plans in the industry saw flat or declining Part D Star Ratings; however, RxAnte clients continue to excel in improving member adherence despite these rising cut points. Through our unique portfolio of interventions and expertise, we remain dedicated to evolving quality strategies and innovating more effective ways for our clients to achieve adherence improvement.

Interested in learning more? Look for our 2021 Star Ratings Industry Report coming soon to find more details on Star Ratings, member enrollment, and additional breakdowns on industry performance at large.