Great Bend, Kansas — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., sued more than 700 patients for unpaid medical bills during his decades as an obstetrician-gynecologist, according to a New York Times review of Kansas court records.
The Times found that patients were arrested in 81 cases after missing court appearances, while Marshall’s attorneys sought warrants in 13 additional lawsuits. His practice also garnished wages and bank accounts and routinely charged 18% annual interest on unpaid balances. Some lawsuits involved bills as small as $101.
One couple told the Times they spent two days in jail over a $4,561 bill from an emergency hysterectomy after missing a court date. Another patient said she was arrested while eight months pregnant after falling behind on a payment plan.
Marshall practiced medicine in Great Bend for more than 25 years and says on his Senate website that he delivered more than 5,000 babies.
His spokeswoman, Payton Fuller, emphasized that judges—not doctors—issue arrest warrants for missed court appearances. She also said Marshall treated patients regardless of their ability to pay and argued that the billing practices were not unusual for a rural medical practice.
The report comes as Marshall seeks reelection and continues to make health care costs a major part of his Senate agenda, including proposals focused on medical price transparency.
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