Mark Cuban Challenges MTG on Healthcare: 'Insurance Isn’t the Solution—It’s the Problem'

Greene Blames GOP Leadership for Shutdown and Healthcare Inaction

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a member of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, has criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) over the ongoing government shutdown. She accused them of failing to negotiate with Democrats on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies, which she said are vital for her constituents. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Greene Calls for Healthcare Transparency

Defending her independence from party leadership, Greene said she doesn’t need to be a “cheerleader” for Republicans. She explained that residents in her Georgia district—including her “neighbors, family and friends”—have urged her to “do something about healthcare premiums.”

In a post on X, Greene posed a question to her followers: “If there was very detailed pricing transparency in the healthcare industry from doctors, surgeries, treatments, pharmacists, literally everything directly to patients, without health insurance, would that appeal to you?” Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Greene Proposes an A La Carte Medical Model

Expanding on the idea, Greene suggested that a “concierge and/or a la carte medical care” model could reduce costs by removing insurance companies from the equation. She argued that such an approach might appeal to people burdened by high premiums, saying: “In other words, for those who are paying $1,800+/mo with $7-10,000 deductibles, if that money could pay directly for care without going to insurance companies and instead directly to your own health care needs, how many people would that appeal to?” Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mark Cuban Weighs In on Healthcare Economics

Entrepreneur and Cost Plus Drugs founder Mark Cuban replied directly to Greene’s post, writing: “The only financial questions in healthcare are 1. What does it cost 2. How do you pay for it.”

He added, “For most people in this country, employers, taxpayers and patients absorb the risk of payment. Insurance companies rarely take risk. It’s time to ask why we use them at all?”

Cuban continued: “If you need money for college, a house, a small business loan, and more, taxpayers will give or guarantee a loan. If you are in a horrific accident and can’t pay your deductible or OOP, we ignore you. There are ways to solve this problem. But they start with realizing in 2025, insurance isn’t the solution. It’s the problem. They know you can’t pay your deductibles, but they take your premiums. Let that sink in.” Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cuban Critiques Insurance Industry Power

When asked by another commenter about the ACA’s effect on costs, Cuban praised the original intent of the law but said the system has since shifted. He wrote that “now the insurance companies are vertically integrated and far different,” arguing, “What we see today isn't because of the ACA. It's because we let the companies grow into behemoths that have more power over our lives than any other companies. They define the healthcare system.” Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons