Mark Cuban is one odd entity in the billionaire club. In spite of having billions to his name, he tries to be the man of the people. That sets him apart from other billionaires, who just want your money in one way or another. This time, he has taken shots at the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare) and insurance carriers.
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, Mark Cuban criticized large insurance companies and said independent doctors are being treated unfairly in today’s system.
He said the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has drifted far from its original purpose over the years. It has now turned into a framework that big corporations know how to work to their advantage, in his point of view.
Cuban argued that this shift has left many physicians feeling squeezed and has created a system that no longer supports the people it was meant to help.
Mark Cuban Slams Obamacare
Cuban went on X to call out what he sees as a growing problem in the insurance world. He said large carriers are routinely pushing back on payments that smaller doctors and pharmacies rely on.
The Shark Tank investor said large insurers have made a habit of delaying payments. Either that, or cutting them down or pulling them back after approval. Mark said this pattern forces smaller providers to constantly fight to get paid for the work they have already done.
Cuban brutally pointed out how insurance companies load independent clinics and pharmacies with endless paperwork and hoops to jump through. These insurance companies are fully aware that smaller medical establishments don’t have the staff or budget to fight every battle.
Cuban Says the ACA No Longer Serves Its Original Purpose
Cuban has been making the case that the Affordable Care Act has been astray. It has drifted so far from its purpose that it needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. A surgeon replied to him online, saying the law had pushed private practices to the brink and that she closed her own office this year.
Cuban responded by saying the ACA has become worthless in its current state. He explained that the idea behind the law wasn’t the problem. According to him, after fifteen years, it has become something that large corporations know how to bend to their advantage.
“In 15 years, big companies are going to learn how to game any law that defines hundreds of billions of dollars. The fault isn’t with the ACA, it’s with politicians and administrations that let the abuse of the ACA occur,” said Mark.
Short-term extensions of premium subsidies make sense, but Mark argues that the moment has come to move past the current setup. The Maverick urges that the country needs a fresh healthcare model and a full reset of how the system works.
Mark Cuban’s Critique
Mark took to X on December 4, 2025, and tweeted:
“Talking to independent physicians, it’s obvious that the big insurance carriers are doing to them what their PBMs are doing to independent pharmacies. They deny, underpay, slow pay, clawback, and create administrative mazes, knowing their victims don’t have the time or resources to fight.”
Why? Putting financial pressures on physicians and pharmacies makes them more likely to sell their businesses to them, close their doors, or refer the business to their captive pharmacy or provider. All benefitting the biggest insurance companies.”
We need to ditch the concept of ‘claims’ and make every delivery of medications or care as a billable event that must, by law, be paid on a timely basis, with interest charges for any delays. If the physician or pharmacy doesn’t deliver, the carrier has plenty of legal options already. As does the patient.
Mark says, “This is not an efficient market. This is the big guy abusing the little guy. It needs to change to better the care we get in this country.”
Political Backlash Over ACA Reforms
Last month, we saw a Republican effort to redirect ACA funds into personal health savings accounts. It received criticism from many industry experts, including Mark Cuban.
Mark exclaimed the idea as misguided. Why? Because those dollars could easily be spent on things that have nothing to do with medical care. He dismissed the proposal as a poor fix that would only make the system weaker.
During the shutdown, President Donald Trump pressed Senate Republicans to drop the ACA entirely and send federal healthcare funding straight to Americans.
That same day, CNBC reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are trying to secure a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA tax credits to keep next year’s premiums from jumping.
The proposal is unlikely to advance. Many Republican senators say the extra subsidies should lapse because they were only meant to cover the pandemic years. Trump has also said he does not support renewing them.
Push for a Fairer and More Transparent Healthcare Model
Cuban’s comments land at a moment when trust in the healthcare system is already shaky. He is not claiming to have the perfect fix, but he’s making it clear that pretending the system is fine won’t get anyone anywhere.
The country deserves a setup that works for regular people, not one shaped by companies with deep pockets.
