Colyer says patients and doctors, not bureaucrats, need to make health care decisions
By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer endorsed the Republican candidacy of Donald Trump based on a belief election of the former president in 2024 would protect Medicare, lower health care and drug prices, speed development of medical treatments and address the overdose epidemic.
Colyer, a surgeon who served seven years as lieutenant governor to GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, was governor of the state for one year after Brownback resigned to work in the Trump administration. In 2018, Colyer sought a full term as governor and was endorsed by former GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole. He narrowly lost the August primary contest to Kris Kobach, who was endorsed by Trump one day before the election.
“As a physician, cancer survivor and former governor, I’m endorsing Donald J. Trump for president,” Colyer said. “The biggest reason why is for all that he will do to fix health care in America.”
Colyer offered his support for Trump in a Newsweek column after visiting the former president at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
He said Americans didn’t appreciate Trump’s health policy accomplishments as president prior to the reelection loss to Democratic President Joe Biden. In a new term, Colyer said, Trump would protect from spending cuts Medicare benefits relied upon by 65 million Americans.
Colyer said Trump would lower pharmaceutical drug prices and address shortcomings in the Affordable Care Act. He said Trump would create price transparency in U.S. health care. Consumers need accurate information to make decisions about containing medical expenditures, he said.
“We need to allow patients and their doctors, not bureaucrats, to determine health care decisions,” said Colyer, who consistently supported legislation to restrain abortion rights in Kansas.
Colyer said Trump would close the southern U.S. border with Mexico to drug traffickers flooding the country with opioids and fentanyl fueling overdose deaths. The country deserved “a president dedicated to securing our borders, stopping the drug traffickers and saving American lives,” Colyer said.
In addition, Colyer said Trump would remove government roadblocks to research and development of new treatments for health problems.
“From the vantage point of someone who experienced every side of the health care equation, there is no question that President Trump has the best track record on healthcare. And, now, he could become the most transformative health innovator in our lifetimes,” Colyer said.
In 2016, Trump said he would implement health insurance for “everybody” and lower coverage costs. Trump said he would protect Medicare funding, but in 2020 disclosed that he was open to reductions in federal safety-net programs. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump suggested treatment with ultraviolet light or “injection” of disinfectant might kill the virus.
Trump said during the 2016 campaign that as president he would repeal and replace the ACA. The Center for American Progress said the GOP president chipped away at the ACA and the number of uninsured Americans expanded by 2.3 million from 2016 to 2019.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported in early 2023 a record 40 million Americans had health insurance coverage under the ACA.