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1
The analysis included 425 Medicare Advantage contracts covering 29.0 million enrollees and evaluated 13 components of 11 measures removed from 2026 Star Ratings.
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2
Only 5 of the 13 removed measures were topped out, while none of the 30 retained measures met the study’s topping-out definition.
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3
Removed measures had higher average scores than retained measures, but their removal lowered composite scores in the simulation.
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4
After measure removal, ratings decreased for 35.1% of contracts, remained unchanged for 62.6%, and increased for 2.4%.
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5
The modeled annual 2026 quality bonus payment pool fell by $2.09 billion, or 13.9%, as 33 contracts lost eligibility and 6 gained it.
