Mark Cuban has criticized Medicare Advantage for costing taxpayers more than traditional Medicare. He advocates for legislative changes to reduce healthcare costs. Cuban claims that every American family pays around $800 a year to fund expensive Medicare Advantage plans.
Rhode Island’s Medicare Savings Program (MSP) has an asset limit that can disqualify low-income seniors from receiving aid. In 2026, the asset limit for MSP is $9,950 for an individual and $14,910 for a couple. The MSP helps low-income older adults and adults with disabilities on Medicare by paying their premiums and, for some, deductibles and copayments.
The program saves those eligible at least $2,400 a year. In 2025, Rhode Island lawmakers increased the income eligibility for MSP to $27,060. Yet several neighboring states have eliminated similar asset limits for their MSP programs.
More than half of Medicare-eligible beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has finalized the 2027 Medicare Advantage rate increase at 2.48 percent. Cuban argues that taxpayers pay Medicare Advantage providers more than it costs to support traditional Medicare.
Cuban’s pharmacy, Cost Plus Drugs, marks up prices by at most 15% and publishes a complete list of manufacturing prices. The ‘Break Up Big Medicine Act’ is a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senators Josh Hawley and Elizabeth Warren. Cuban believes that breaking up big insurance companies will help lower health care costs.
Carol Anne Costa of the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island stated, “Rhode Island should not force low-income people on Medicare to spend themselves into poverty to get help paying for health care.” Observers expect ongoing discussions about potential reforms in the coming months.
