Mark Cuban did not begin with the well mannered center floor. He planted his flag within the weeds of a very actual downside within the U.S. well being system: insurance coverage can price cash you by no means get to make use of.
In an August publish on X, the billionaire entrepreneur and Value Plus Medicine co‑founder laid out a blunt argument that has caught with many People attempting to navigate rising premiums and towering deductibles: if you cannot afford your deductible, insurance coverage might not be defending you in any respect.
The actual medical insurance rip-off is that they know as their deductibles go up, fewer individuals can afford to make use of their insurance coverage. Which implies they do not have insurance coverage. Regardless of having to pay premiums.
It could sound counter intuitive , however if you cannot afford your deductible, you…
Do not Miss:
“It could sound counterintuitive , however if you cannot afford your deductible, you MIGHT be higher off not getting insurance coverage,” Cuban wrote. “While you want care, major, preventive or worse, your physician or hospital has financing plans.”
Cuban’s central level wasn’t a slogan — it was a direct critique of how well being protection works in the present day. As deductibles rise, fewer individuals can afford to really use their plans. They pay premiums, however the second they want care, they face payments they merely do not have the money to cowl. Cuban referred to as this a structural flaw:
“The actual medical insurance rip-off is that they know as their deductibles go up, fewer individuals can afford to make use of their insurance coverage. Which implies they do not have insurance coverage. Regardless of having to pay premiums.”
Right here, Cuban was speaking in regards to the math behind protection: premiums, deductibles, negotiated pricing — and the way the member finally ends up paying full fee on prime of premiums they already paid.
Cuban did not dismiss insurance coverage fully. He urged that, in some circumstances, paying suppliers instantly and understanding fee phrases might truly lower your expenses in contrast with excessive deductible plans which might be hardly ever used.
“Their money value that they finance will likely be cheaper than what your insurance coverage firm or employer negotiated,” he wrote. “Now’s the time to seek out a health care provider who’s prepared to work with you instantly and allow you to pay them instantly.”
Trending: This ETF issuer is not chasing the index — it is constructing instruments for earnings, leverage, and conviction
He acknowledged this strategy is not absolutely polished but — it is nonetheless rising and never seamless — but it surely’s occurring in pockets of the system.
“There’s nonetheless quite a lot of work to be accomplished earlier than that is straightforward and handy. Nevertheless it’s beginning to occur.”
Cuban closed the publish by inviting enter: “This is not an ideal strategy, so all suggestions welcome!”
Customers on X weighed in with their very own experiences and counterpoints. One commenter argued insurers do negotiate steep reductions on lab work that people cannot obtain on their very own.
Cuban replied instantly, reducing to the central numeric actuality:
“Money value is nearly all the time cheaper than insurance coverage negotiated value. Go to a hospital web site and have a look at the pricing they’re required to pay.”
That reply underscores Cuban’s broader level: negotiated doesn’t all the time imply decrease, and transparency issues.
Different replies ranged from expressions of skepticism about insurance coverage to non-public experiences of excessive premiums and deductibles.
See Additionally: Earn Whereas You Scroll: The Deloitte-Ranked #1 Software program Firm Rising 32,481% Is Opening Its $0.50/Share Spherical to Accredited Traders.
Cuban wasn’t urging everybody to cancel their protection. He was pushing readers to consider worth — not simply price. When premiums go up and deductibles climb quicker than individuals’s capability to pay them, protection can really feel extra like a price than safety.
His message centered on one financial actuality of the U.S. well being system in the present day:
-
Paying for insurance coverage would not assure you need to use it.
-
Financing plans from suppliers and clear money pricing could price lower than out‑of‑pocket deductibles tied to excessive‑premium plans.
-
People ought to consider whether or not insurance coverage gives extra worth than direct pay choices based mostly on their very own funds and native community.
Cuban’s critique displays a broader dialogue occurring amongst sufferers, employers, and a few policymakers about how well being care pricing and insurance coverage design have an effect on affordability in observe, not simply in idea.
Medical health insurance stays important for a lot of People — particularly for main medical occasions or unpredictable emergencies. However Cuban’s level was about actual usefulness, not idea.
For individuals attempting to resolve what path is sensible for his or her lives and funds, speaking with a trusted monetary advisor may help weigh the commerce‑offs between premiums, deductibles, direct pay pricing, and lengthy‑time period threat.
Insurance coverage should not be counted on if you cannot afford to make use of it. Cuban’s message was a transparent, knowledge‑knowledgeable problem to the established order — and an invite to rethink how protection, pricing, and care supply match collectively.
Learn Subsequent: Non-public-Market Actual Property With out the Crowdfunding Threat—Direct Entry to Institutional-Grade Offers Managed by a $12B+ Actual Property Agency
Picture: Shutterstock
Up Subsequent: Remodel your buying and selling with Benzinga Edge’s one-of-a-kind market commerce concepts and instruments. Click on now to entry distinctive insights that may set you forward in in the present day’s aggressive market.
Get the most recent inventory evaluation from Benzinga:
This text Mark Cuban Says You 'Would possibly Be Higher Off' With out Well being Insurance coverage At All If You Can't Afford The Deductible initially appeared on Benzinga.com
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga doesn’t present funding recommendation. All rights reserved.
