Fewer than half of Medicare Advantage plan members say they strongly agree their insurer is a trusted partner in their health and wellness, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study. The finding points to a structural problem in how plans communicate with members and has direct implications for brokers advising clients on plan selection.
Overall member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans fell 12 points this year to 611 on a 1,000-point scale. The two-year drop since 2024 now stands at 41 points, following a 29-point decline the prior year. The program now covers 35.2 million people, or 55 percent of all eligible Medicare beneficiaries, according to KFF.
The study tracks eight satisfaction dimensions. Three posted the steepest two-year declines: "helping to save me time and money" fell 51 points, "level of trust" fell 49 points, and "product/coverage offerings meet my needs" fell 47 points.
"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 Meaghan Hafner, senior director of healthcare solutions at JD Power. "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."
The study, now in its 12th year, is based on responses from 14,559 members of Medicare Advantage plans across 12 U.S. markets: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. It was fielded from January through June.
The data on onboarding is specific enough to be actionable for brokers. Among new members who say they understand their coverage very well, 34 percent feel their insurer helps prepare them for the unexpected. Twenty-nine percent feel their insurer anticipates their needs.
Among new members who do not understand their coverage, those rates fall to 17 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Premiums, network breadth, and formulary access do not capture how well a plan supports members through the first months of enrollment. That is when confusion is highest and the risk of dissatisfaction is greatest.
The study rates plans across eight factors. Level of trust carries the most weight. Ability to access health services when and how members want, and helping members save time or money, also feature prominently.
Special needs plans post stronger scores
Special needs plans (SNPs), which serve members with specific severe or disabling chronic conditions, those living in institutional settings, and those who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, posted substantially stronger satisfaction and trust scores than standard Medicare Advantage plans in the 2026 study.
The result tracks with the broader enrollment data. SNPs accounted for 85 percent of net Medicare Advantage enrollment growth over the past year, according to KFF. Those plans now cover more than 8.2 million beneficiaries. Higher-touch care coordination models tend to produce better member outcomes, particularly among populations with complex healthcare needs.
The finding reinforces the case for plans with structured care management for brokers placing clients who qualify for dual-eligible plans or chronic condition SNPs.
State rankings vary across the 12 markets. In California, Kaiser Permanente ranked highest for a third consecutive year with a score of 665. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee topped its state with 690. UPMC For Life ranked highest in Pennsylvania for a fourth consecutive year with 689. In Florida, UnitedHealthcare ranked first with 621, followed by Humana at 620 and Freedom Health at 619. UnitedHealthcare also ranked highest in Georgia for a third consecutive year with 656 and in North Carolina for a third consecutive year with 645.
The satisfaction decline sits against a backdrop of sharp disruption for brokers working the Medicare side of their books. From mid-2025 onward, major carriers, including UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Elevance Health, Aetna, and Centene, cut or eliminated commissions on a portion of their Medicare Advantage plans.
Many of those decisions coincided with the October 15 to December 7 open enrollment window. The effect on broker activity during that period was most acute, according to reporting by STAT News.
The cuts came as carriers absorbed rising care costs, particularly among new Medicare Advantage enrollees. Carriers used the commission reductions to steer brokers away from plans with high-cost members.
CMS responded by raising the maximum broker compensation caps for 2026, with initial enrollment commissions rising 10.8 percent in most states based on CMS data. Whether individual carriers pay at or below those caps remains at their discretion.
Baby boomers approaching Medicare eligibility face more complex calculations around whether to stay on an employer's plan, move to Medicare Advantage, or explore other options. The JD Power data suggests plan quality is harder to assess from the outside than it was two years ago. For brokers, onboarding and communication practices are now among the more reliable indicators available.
