Healthcare Costs, PBMs & Why Manufacturers Oppose Drug Price Controls

Healthcare costs. PBM reform. Drug price controls. FDA stability. American manufacturing.This week on the Making Medicine Podcast, John Stanford sits down with Charles Crain, Vice President of Domestic Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, to discuss a new report examining the rising cost of healthcare and its impact on American manufacturers.Manufacturers provide health coverage to millions of workers, making healthcare affordability a major business concern. But according to NAM, the solution isn't limiting pharmaceutical innovation. Instead, the conversation focuses on PBM reform, 340B program transparency, regulatory certainty, preventative care, and policies that lower costs without undermining America's leadership in medical innovation.The discussion also explores why FDA stability matters beyond the biotech sector, how regulatory uncertainty affects long-term investment, and what policymakers should prioritize to strengthen American competitiveness in the face of growing global competition. This Episode Covers:🔹 Why healthcare costs are manufacturers' top business concern🔹Why NAM opposes pharmaceutical price controls🔹The real drivers of rising healthcare costs🔹PBM reform and prescription drug transparency🔹The 340B program and hospital incentives🔹Why FDA stability matters for innovation🔹Regulatory certainty and biotech investment🔹Manufacturing, R&D, and American competitiveness🔹Lessons from COVID supply chain vulnerabilities🔹How to compete with China through innovationAt the center of this conversation is a simple question: How do we lower healthcare costs without weakening the innovation ecosystem that develops new medicines? Charles Crain argues that affordability and innovation are not competing goals, and that policymakers should focus on the structural drivers of healthcare spending rather than policies that could reduce future medical breakthroughs.Check out the NAM report: "Prescription for a Healthy Workforce: Manufacturers' Roadmap to Lower Healthcare Costs"https://nam.org/issues/health-care/ Join the Conversation ⬇️Are policymakers focusing on the right drivers of healthcare costs?Should PBM reform be a higher priority than drug price controls?What matters most for U.S. competitiveness: tax policy, regulatory certainty, or innovation incentives? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below 👇If you're new to the Making Medicine Podcast, we're happy you're here!Follow us for more:X: https://x.com/MakingMedPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingmedicinepod/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makingmedicinepodcast?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/making-medicine-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true👍 Like and subscribe for more conversations on FDA policy, biotech investing, healthcare innovation, drug development, gene therapy, AI in medicine, and the future of biotechnology.Timestamps00:00 Intro & Disclaimer00:37 Meet Charles Crain & NAM01:03 Why Manufacturers Care About Healthcare Costs03:24 Why Healthcare Costs Keep Rising05:57 What NAM Would Do to Lower Costs08:03 Why Manufacturers Oppose Drug Price Controls09:20 The Innovation Tradeoff Explained10:54 Understanding the 340B Program13:16 PBMs & Healthcare Middlemen15:09 How Powerful Are PBMs?17:13 Why FDA Stability Matters18:16 Regulatory Costs & Uncertainty19:30 Why Biotech Needs Predictable Rules20:43 Building Bipartisan Policy Solutions23:18 Competing With China Through Innovation25:12 Final ThoughtsDISCLAIMER: We’re reporting on the headlines, not making medical recommendations. For personal health questions, always consult a doctor.#healthcarepolicy #pbm #biotech #drugpricing #fda #manufacturing #makingmedicine