From KCUR's "Up to Date" podcast, with Steve Kraske, Zach Wilson and Elizabeth Ruiz
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall spent decades as a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in western Kansas.
During that time, he sued more than 700 of his patients for medical debt, a new report from The New York Times found. More than 80 were arrested, and some had their wages garnished.
Marshall, a Republican from Great Bend, Kansas, stopped practicing in 2016 when he was elected to Congress.
According to reporting from The New York Times, Marshall, in 2025, introduced legislation that would prohibit hospitals from suing patients if they did not publicly post their medical prices.
Experts who spoke with the newspaper said doctors have discretion when determining how to handle unpaid medical bills.
“It appears that Senator Marshall used the more aggressive tactics to recoup his outstanding debts,” said Sarah Kliff, the New York Times reporter who broke the story.
Marshall is running for reelection in November against Democrat Adam Hamilton, a pastor from Leawood, Kansas.
- Sarah Kliff, investigative healthcare reporter, The New York Times