Rapper Fat Joe to join lawmakers on Capitol Hill to fight for drug price transparency
Fat Joe is getting ready to raise his voice in Washington about health care pricing, meeting with lawmakers ahead of a concert with a cause behind it.
The “Lean Back” rapper is headed to the nation’s capital next week on behalf of Power to the Patients, a nonprofit that advocates for healthcare price transparency.
The Hill's In The Know (ITK) has learned that the hip hop star, who was born Joseph Cartagena, is poised to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including leadership, as well as with White House officials while he is in town.
A news conference at the Capitol featuring members of Congress and Fat Joe is also being organized.
He will also headline a performance hosted by the nonprofit next Thursday, just ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
“Our healthcare system needs comprehensive reform and I remain committed to using my platform to work alongside Power to the Patients and give a voice to the voiceless,” Fat Joe told ITK in an exclusive statement.
“We must demand accountability from hospitals and insurers, so people can get a transparent understanding of the cost of their medical bills and make more informed financial decisions on healthcare services,” the 52-year-old performer, whose advocacy is said to stem from his childhood growing up in the Bronx, N.Y., said.
“With prices hidden, often times, the bills are not even consistent at the same hospital,” he added. “It’s tearing families apart.”