Patient-Level Savings are Modest on Limited Generic Drugs Through the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company
Hyped Program Fails to Deliver Broad, Big Savings
By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH
Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is watching the NBA finals from the sideline as the Mavs struggle against the Celtics. Cuban has moved on to the generic drug business after missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime in providing hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, and other drugs in the McCullough Protocol to the public when they needed them the most.
Kouzy et al reviewed the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) founded in 2022 and reported the following:
“This economic evaluation found that patients could have spent less on 11.8% of prescriptions filled for 124 generic drugs in 2019 if they had been purchased from MCCPDC instead of using their health insurance. The estimated cost savings was approximately $5 per prescription, including shipping. Savings varied substantially by health insurance type, with uninsured patients achieving the greatest benefit. Our findings are consistent with an analysis of Costco’s direct-to-consumer pharmacy, which found that higher spending occurred in 11% of Medicare Part D claims.4 In contrast, an analysis of the 20 most-prescribed generic drugs found that out-of-pocket costs for 20% of prescriptions exceeded prices for Prime members at Amazon Pharmacy.5 With generic drugs constituting 90% of all dispensed prescriptions, some patients can benefit from a transparent cost-plus pharmacy pricing model; however, for most, it is less expensive to use their health insurance benefits. Although MCCPDC sells most common generic drugs, only 26% of expensive generic drugs were available in May 2023.6”
The bottom line is Cuban may come to mind for those without health care insurance, but generic drugs are inexpensive and widely available, so why bother with the flamboyant drug purveyor now? Lesson learned for Cuban is that he could have been America’s hero during COVID-19, but instead came late to the game with an anemic formulary that is not worth the effort for most Americans.
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Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH
President, McCullough Foundation
Honestly, a holistic natural model of healthcare is needed — one that doesn’t rely on drugs, generic or brand. Trust me, I’m a pharmacist and this is the model I’m looking to create.
For example, we don’t need $1,000 drugs to treat obesity, when studies show diet is JUST as effective without the dangerous side effects: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/the-hidden-struggle-in-health-care
LOL….Do you actually think that Mark Cuban would have gone up against the powers that be, to provide ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, etc., to people when the government, CDC, WHO, etc., made sure that these generic drugs were unavailable? Seriously? Is Mark Cuban jumping into this for altruistic reasons? Of course not. Whether Cuban, Gates or whomever, these are actions motivated solely by profit.