by Sharelle Burt
March 11, 2024
The legendary rapper is pushing for legislators to pass a bipartisan bill to strengthen and expand requirements for healthcare price transparency.
Legendary rapper Chuck D brought his powerful voice to Washington, D.C. to advocate for more price transparency throughout the U.S. healthcare system.
The Public Enemy frontman performed March 5 before an audience at an event organized by Power to the Patients, a nonprofit working toward healthcare reform.
The “Fight the Power” rapper is part of a growing list of artists pushing for legislators to pass a bipartisan bill—crafted by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT)—that would strengthen and expand requirements for healthcare price transparency.
The 63-year-old said the organization is looking to hip-hop to be a voice of reason in hopes of being an “extra voice to get the importance of this across.”
“You know,” he added, “you got people who are now entering their 40s, 50s, and 60s, who are, if not themselves, their families immediately surrounding them are beleaguered with the same conditions and situations,” the performer said. “So why not have a voice that actually is not only loud and relevant but also speaking to the scenario that’s taking place in their own lives?”
A 2023 report from the nonprofit group Patient Rights Advocate showed under 40% of 2,000 surveyed hospitals complied with the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule, implemented in 2021. Under the rule, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, every U.S. operating hospital is required to “provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide.”
There are two ways to submit the information: as a comprehensive file with all items and services; or in a display of retainable services in a consumer-friendly format.
Some of music’s heavy hitters shared the stage with Chuck D, whose real name is Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, including Fat Joe, Valerie June, and the Foo Fighters.
This was not the first time rappers have come together to advocate for the greater good. Chuck D and Fat Joe worked together in 2023 with the nonprofit for a public service announcement called “HIP HOP PSA: We Need Real Prices and Transparency in Healthcare.”
For 60 seconds, hip-hop legends including Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross and French Montana talked about the lack of transparency in healthcare, something Chuck D called a “humanitarian crisis,” having experienced the same pain of millions Americans face every day. “I mean, all we gotta do is look at our own families,” he said.
“You know, if you’re Black, and you’re Black in the United States of America, you’re immediately aware, if you wanna pay attention, to how the conditions and the costs are like two different worlds.”
With bills being created, Fat Joe thinks things are “moving in the right direction.”
According to USA Today, U.S. Representatives including Andre Carson (D-IN), Dan Goldman (D-NY), and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stopped by the event. “This is a legacy bill,” Fat Joe said. “This is why they send you to Washington.”
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