Creator: Patrick Connole
JD Power Says Special Needs MA Plans Do Best on Trust
While the JD Power MA plan study for 2026 found most members not happy with their plans on the trust issue, those people in Special Needs Plans told a different story.
The “JD Power 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study” said overall member satisfaction with MA plans is down 12 points (on a 1,000-point scale) this year when compared to 2025 and only 43 percent of plan members say they strongly agree with the statement that their plan is a trusted partner in their health and wellness.
But special needs plans designed for those beneficiaries in nursing homes and other institutional care fare better on the trust issue, the report said.
Key findings of the 2026 study:
Overall satisfaction with MA plans declines for second consecutive year: Overall customer satisfaction with MA plans is 611, down 12 points from last year and down 41 points from 2024, with declines across all dimensions of the member experience.
High-performing plans exceed in onboarding and communication: Two key areas where the highest-performing MA plans stand out are in new member onboarding and effective communication. Among new members who say they understand their coverage very well, 34 percent feel their insurer helps prepare them for the unexpected, and 29 percent feel their insurer anticipates their needs. Among new members who say they do not understand their coverage, those rates are cut nearly half to 17 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
Special needs plans deliver stronger levels of member satisfaction: Special needs plans, which are designed for people with specific severe or disabling chronic conditions, those who live in a facility, or those who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, deliver significantly higher overall satisfaction and trust scores, illustrating how higher-touch support models, care coordination and personalized guidance can contribute to stronger member outcomes among populations with complex healthcare needs, the report said.
Plans and How They Rank
Kaiser Permanente ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in California for a third consecutive year, with a score of 665. SCAN Health Plan (656) ranks second, JD Power said.
UnitedHealthcare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Florida, with a score of 621. Humana (620) ranks second and Freedom Health (619) ranks third.
UnitedHealthcare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Georgia for a third consecutive year, with a score of 656. Aetna Medicare (628) ranks second.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Illinois for a second consecutive year, with a score of 638. UnitedHealthcare (629) ranks second.
Humana ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Kentucky, with a score of 625. UnitedHealthcare (606) ranks second.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Michigan for a second consecutive year, with a score of 676.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in New York for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 618. Healthfirst (611) ranks second.
UnitedHealthcare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in North Carolina for a third consecutive year, with a score of 645. Humana (637) ranks second.
Aetna Medicare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Ohio, with a score of 639.
UPMC For Life ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Pennsylvania for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 689. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (659) ranks second and Aetna Medicare (647) ranks third.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans Tennessee, with a score of 690. Humana (647) ranks second.
Humana ranks highest in overall satisfaction with MA plans in Texas, with a score of 641. UnitedHealthcare (628) ranks second and Aetna Medicare (624) ranks third.
JD Power said its study is based on the responses of 14,559 members of MA 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.
For more information, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/u-s-medicare-advantage-study/.
Questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.
