Best^* Medicare Advantage Plans in South Dakota for 2027

UnitedHealthcare, Aetna (CVS Health) and Medica have 2027 plans in South Dakota rated 4 stars or higher by Medicare in the 2027 CMS Star Ratings.

How the top plans are chosen

The plans listed first have the highest overall rating in the 2027 CMS Star Ratings among the Medicare Advantage plans in South Dakota open to everyone with Medicare: 4 out of 5 stars. Plans that share it are listed by name, not ranked, and the other plans rated 4 stars or higher follow. Special needs plans, which only people who qualify can join, are listed separately, and a plan without drug coverage has no overall rating, so it isn't counted. We only do this where the top rating is at least 4 stars.

Star Ratings are Medicare's measure of a plan's quality and members' experience, not our recommendation. A rating doesn't tell you whether a plan covers your doctors and prescriptions or what it costs, so compare plans for your ZIP code with the plan finder on this page.

Top-rated plans in your South Dakota county

What Medicare Star Ratings measure

CMS rates every Medicare Advantage contract from 1 to 5 stars each year. For 2027, the health plan (Part C) rating looks at five areas: staying healthy (screenings, tests and vaccines), managing chronic (long-term) conditions, members' experience with the plan, member complaints and changes in the plan's performance, and the plan's customer service. A plan with drug coverage is also rated on four drug plan (Part D) areas: customer service, member complaints and changes in performance, members' experience, and drug safety and accuracy of drug pricing.

The scores come from member surveys, information plans and providers report, and Medicare's own data such as complaints and appeals. The overall rating combines the health and drug plan measures; a plan without drug coverage has a Part C summary rating instead. Ratings are given per contract, so every plan under the same contract carries the same stars.

The 5-star Special Enrollment Period

Medicare's 5-star Special Enrollment Period lets you switch, once, to a plan with a 5-star overall rating that is offered where you live, outside the usual enrollment periods. For plans rated 5 stars for 2027, it runs from December 8, 2026 through November 30, 2027.

In South Dakota, no plan has a 5-star overall rating for 2027, so this window does not apply here; the Annual Enrollment Period (Open Enrollment), October 15 through December 7, does.

If you switch from a plan with drug coverage to a 5-star plan without it, you could lose your drug coverage, so check before you switch.

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