Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban is sounding the alarm on skyrocketing corporate healthcare costs, declaring them a primary driver of layoffs and throwing his full weight behind bipartisan legislation to dismantle healthcare conglomerates like UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH), CVS Health Corp. (NYSE:CVS), and Cigna Group (NYSE:CI).

The ‘Insane’ Cost Of Care

In a recent social media post, the founder of Cost Plus Drugs, Cuban, argued that out-of-control medical expenses—not artificial intelligence (AI)—are forcing companies to slash jobs.

Cuban noted that employers are burdened with “$30k per family, per year for premiums and care,” calling the financial strain “insane.”

“Most of that goes to the massive, vertically integrated insurance companies that send weekly bills that no one reviews in details,” Cuban wrote.

He emphasized that healthcare is typically a company’s second-largest expense behind payroll, making it “far easier to blame AI than it is to blame Healthcare costs” when layoffs occur.

Dismantling Vertical Integration

To combat these mounting costs, Cuban is urging the public to support the “Break Up Big Medicine Act,” introduced by Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

The sweeping bill targets industry giants like UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, and Cigna Group, aiming to prohibit common ownership between insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and medical providers.

“Break up the biggest insurance companies,” Cuban demanded. “They don't need thousands of subsidiaries. That's how they game and abuse the system and increase costs for all of us.”

A Push For Affordability

The proposed legislation mirrors the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act, seeking to eliminate the self-dealing that inflates consumer premiums.

Under the act, these massive healthcare entities would be required to divest conflicting subsidiaries within one year, with enforcement led by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice.

Cuban has previously praised the bill as an absolute “no brainer” and urged President Donald Trump to back the populist effort.

For Cuban, dismantling these monopolies is the only viable path forward to increase jobs, boost wages, and fundamentally improve healthcare affordability for every working American.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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