Mark Cuban says he got into pharmaceuticals because some of his Republican friends asked if he had an Obamacare alternative

Shark Tank prima Mark Cuban says his involvement successful the US healthcare strategy began aft his GOP friends asked him if helium could travel up with a replacement for Obamacare.

"Going backmost to 2018 oregon 2017, being present successful Texas, I had immoderate Republican friends who were asking maine questions like, 'Do you person immoderate ideas however the Republicans tin regenerate the ACA, Obamacare?'" Cuban said successful an occurrence of the Hims House podcast, which aired connected Tuesday.

"I'm like, 'No, but it's an absorbing question. Let maine spot if I tin travel up with immoderate ideas.' So that got maine into healthcare. The ideas, you know, ne'er got that far, but it truly got me, turned maine into a healthcare geek," Cuban added.

Cuban said his involvement led him to wage for studies to find retired wherefore healthcare costs much successful the US compared to countries similar Canada.

"It became precise evident the much I dug in, that determination was zero transparency, nary transparency, and that determination were a batch of vested interests that wanted opacity. They privation it to beryllium arsenic opaque arsenic imaginable truthful that radical can't marque bully decisions erstwhile it comes to their healthcare," Cuban said connected the podcast.

Back successful 2017, Cuban detailed his ain plan to hole Obamacare connected his blog "Blog Maverick." Cuban called for a single-payer sum strategy for chronic carnal oregon intelligence unwellness and for immoderate life-threatening injury.

"Everything not covered by the supra tin beryllium covered by security sold connected the escaped market, managed by the states, sold crossed authorities lines, without authorities interference," Cuban wrote.

Later, successful 2022, Cuban cofounded Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Co., a low-cost online pharmacy.

Unlike its competitors, Cost Plus Drugs keeps costs debased by sourcing its drugs straight from manufacturers and eliminating the other costs imposed by pharmaceutical middlemen. Customers wage a 15% markup to Cost Plus Drugs, arsenic good arsenic a fixed $5 labour complaint for each medicine and $5 for shipping.

"We are wholly transparent, with the aforesaid terms for anyone and everyone," Cuban told Business Insider's Hilary Brueck successful a communicative published successful August. "We judge that erstwhile each information is transparent, past the marketplace becomes efficient. At that point, prices volition driblet significantly."

More recently, Cuban expressed enactment for President Donald Trump's propulsion to slash cause pricing and said helium would beryllium consenting to transportation successful to marque pharmaceuticals cheaper.

"Gotta beryllium honest. The @realDonaldTrump EO connected healthcare and successful particular, cause pricing could prevention hundreds of billions," Cuban wrote connected X successful April.

Cuban besides outlined 5 ways helium thought cause prices could beryllium regulated successful that post. The station was a marked departure from Cuban's criticism of Trump connected tariffs and different matters, arsenic good arsenic his strong support for then-Vice President Kamala Harris' statesmanlike tally against Trump successful 2024.

"Put maine successful coach! I'm present to help," Cuban wrote connected X.

Cuban did not respond to a petition for remark from BI.