Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Disenrollment Reasons Survey

Overview: The Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) Disenrollment Reasons Survey captures reasons people voluntarily leave their Medicare health and drug plans. The Disenrollment Reasons Survey gives insight beyond what MA and PDP disenrollment rates can tell us.  

About the survey: The Disenrollment Reasons Survey is a mailed survey with three versions tailored to the type of contract the beneficiary left:  1) stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP), 2) Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD), or 3) Medicare Advantage only (MA-only).  A random sample of voluntary disenrollees from each eligible contract is drawn monthly and surveyed as soon as possible following the actual date of disenrollment.  Sampled participants get a pre-notification letter and up to two mailed surveys within 1-2 months of leaving their plan. The survey asks participants why they left their plan including financial reasons, drug or health benefits, customer service, and the coverage of doctors and hospitals.

How the data are used: Disenrollment Reasons Survey results are publicly reported at https://go.cms.gov/partcanddstarratings in the annual Star Ratings Data Table and the Display Measures downloads.  Survey results are used by contracts to identify areas in need of quality improvement and by Medicare administrators and policymakers to monitor the performance of Medicare health and drug plans.

For more information, please contact: DisenrollSurvey@cms.hhs.gov.