To the editor:

Journal-World reporter Peter Hancock should be commended for his thorough article on premium increases in the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace. Hancock accurately reports that insurers attribute most of the increase to uncertainty over the future of the program due to a lack of support from the Trump administration. Independent analysts from across the political spectrum share this conclusion.

Unfortunately, Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer fails to listen to insurance experts and continues to falsely assert that “Obamacare” itself is solely to blame for cost increases. Colyer has an opportunity to show some leadership and work at the state level to improve the ACA for the nearly 100,000 Kansans who now have insurance thanks to the law. He could work to lower costs by expanding Medicaid, implementing innovative reinsurance models and addressing the high cost of prescription drugs.

There is growing support for the ACA and expanding KanCare in Kansas. Kansans want to see leadership, not excuses and political rhetoric.

It’s time Lt. Gov. Colyer offered some positive solutions. He should join the bipartisan effort to stabilize the insurance markets, offer consumers some certainty, and improve the ACA. The health of thousands of Kansans depends on it.