Full Breakdown
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall Calls NYT Report a “Hit Job”
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Allegations and Report Details
A recent New York Times investigation alleged that more than 700 patients of former OB-GYN Dr. Roger Marshall’s practice were sued for unpaid medical bills, with an 18 % annual interest rate applied. The report said 81 patients were arrested after missing court dates. The article also quoted several patients who said they were pressured to pay in full or faced incarceration for debts as low as $115.
Marshall’s Medical Background and Billing Practices
Before entering politics, Marshall co-founded Great Bend Regional Hospital and operated the Heartland Regional OB-GYN practice. He was one of the few physicians in the area who accepted Medicaid, drawing patients from surrounding cities. Marshall says his office followed “standard policies” that involved referring delinquent accounts to the same collection agencies used by most regional doctors after nine-to-twelve months of non-payment.
Official Statements & Responses
Marshall described the Times story as a politically motivated “hit job” allegedly financed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. He argued that once a bill entered collections, his office had no further involvement and that the arrests were the result of “standard policies” rather than personal action. Vice President J.D. Vance, campaigning for Marshall, defended the senator as a consistent advocate for everyday Americans and suggested the report was intended to undermine his candidacy.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I think that Kansans look at a story like this and realize it's from something like the National Enquirer, that this is totally a hit job by left media, an article paid for by Chuck Schumer,” — Democrats. Sen. Roger Marshall
- “I would never want anyone to be arrested because of money that they owe myself or the hospital,” — Democrats. Sen. Roger Marshall
- “But we had standard policies. Once they went to collections, I was never asked another — had nothing else to do with the process. These were professional companies that did the collection processes.” — Democrats. Sen. Roger Marshall
- “My golden rule with my office manager is, look, if a person's making a payment of $5 a month, that's fine,” — Democrats. Sen. Roger Marshall
- “Now, this guy, this guy, I'm telling you, ladies and gentlemen, here's what happened is he decided to come in and lie about my very dear friend Doc Marshall, because the reality is that Doc Marshall has stood up for everyday Americans every single day he's been in the United States Senate,” — Vance, vice president
- “Look, I'm not even gonna give The New York Times the honor of me reading their article. But I just think that I trust our judges a lot more than what they're describing there,” — Democrats. Sen. Roger Marshall
Political Context
Marshall is seeking a second Senate term in Kansas, facing Democratic megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton. The controversy emerges amid a tightly contested race, with national Republican figures, including Vance, campaigning on Marshall’s behalf. Commentators and columnists have framed the dispute as part of a broader partisan battle over healthcare billing practices and the use of media investigations in election campaigns.