Medicare Advantage plan member satisfaction fell for the second year in a row, dropping 12 points on a 1,000-point scale from 2024 and is down 41 points from 2024, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study.
Kaiser Permanente in California and UnitedHealthcare in Florida ranked first and second in overall satisfaction, respectively, with Humana close behind. The study found that fewer than half of plan members—43%—strongly agreed their plan was a trusted partner in their health and wellness.
Plans considered high-performing prioritize communication during onboarding, as trust attributes rise sharply when members fully understand their coverage. Special needs plans also received high marks for delivering stronger care coordination and better member support.
Regional Rankings Show Narrow Gaps
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee ranked highest in overall satisfaction in its state with a score of 690, followed by Humana at 647. In Pennsylvania, UPMC For Life led with 689, while Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan scored 676 to top its market for the second consecutive year.
Kaiser Permanente again led in California with 665, and UnitedHealthcare topped Florida at 621. Other first-place finishers included Humana in Kentucky (625) and Texas (641), Aetna Medicare in Ohio (639), and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in New York (618).
Among new members who said they understood their coverage very well, 34% felt their insurer helped prepare them for the unexpected, compared to just 17% among those who did not understand their coverage. Similarly, 29% felt their insurer anticipated their needs when coverage was well understood, versus 16% who lacked understanding.
“Healthcare has grown increasingly complex and exceedingly costly, and Medicare Advantage plans are juggling these challenging market forces while trying to guide their members to the best outcomes,” said Meaghan Hafner, senior director of healthcare solutions at JD Power.
The study measured satisfaction across eight factors in order of importance: level of trust; ability to get health services when wanted; helping to save time or money; product offerings meeting needs; ease of doing business; quality of representatives and call center agents; resolving problems or complaints; and digital channels.
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Plans face rising financial pressures, narrowing provider networks, and increasing prescription drug and outpatient care costs. These challenges are making it harder for the majority of plans to build strong patient advocacy and trust, according to the report.
UnitedHealthcare ranked highest in overall satisfaction in Georgia (656) and North Carolina (645) for a third consecutive year, while Humana led in Texas and Kentucky. In Illinois, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois scored 638 to edge out UnitedHealthcare at 629.
In a separate study on how seniors use AI to choose Medicare Advantage plans, UnitedHealthcare ranked first in online visibility, according to a report from 5WPR. UnitedHealthcare and Humana, which together make up close to half of the MA market nationally, came in first and second respectively.
“There is a completely new way of searching that happens today,” said Ronn Torossian, founder and chairman of 5WPR. “We believe up to 50% of searches are now taking place in various search engines.”
Senior citizens are increasingly turning to tools like ChatGPT for information on the best MA plan, often before consulting a broker. Kaiser Permanente ranked third in AI visibility despite its smaller geographic footprint, based on consumer-satisfaction coverage where the plan traditionally excels.
Special Needs Plans Score High on Support
Plans serving dual-eligible members, those enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, received notably higher satisfaction and trust scores across all measured factors. The study highlighted that these members benefit from higher-touch support models, coordinated care management, and personalized guidance that directly influence their experience.
Trust and Understanding Drive Member Engagement
Communication during onboarding plays a key role in shaping member trust. The study found that when new members fully understand their plan details, they are significantly more likely to feel prepared for unexpected healthcare events and believe their insurer is responsive to their needs.
