Roger Marshall sued by former patient over alleged illegal interest rates on medical debt

Former obstetrics patient Meischa Zimmerman filed a class-action lawsuit on October 29, 2026, accusing Republican Senator Roger Marshall and his former medical practice, Heartland Regional OBGYN, of charging illegal 18 percent annual interest rates on unpaid patient debts. Kansas state law caps medical interest rates at 15 percent. The lawsuit arrives days before Election Day as polls show Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton leading Marshall in an unexpectedly tight race, prompting President Donald Trump to schedule a rally in Salina on November 1.

Class-action lawsuit against Roger Marshall

• ▪Meischa Zimmerman alleged that debt collection efforts over a $3,596 medical bill from Senator Roger Marshall's former practice led to her arrest on three separate occasions.
• ▪The class-action lawsuit filed by Meischa Zimmerman accuses Senator Roger Marshall and Heartland Regional OBGYN of engaging in aggressive and predatory medical bill debt collection tactics against low-income and uninsured patients.
• ▪Former patient Meischa Zimmerman filed a class-action lawsuit against U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and his former medical practice, Heartland Regional OBGYN

Allegations of illegal medical debt interest rates

• ▪Attorney Steven Johnson, who filed debt cases for Senator Roger Marshall's former practice, stated that the 18 percent interest rate was established directly by the doctor's office.
• ▪Kansas law limits medical bill interest rates to 15 percent annually unless a pre-existing contract explicitly specifies a higher interest rate.
• ▪The lawsuit alleges Senator Roger Marshall and Heartland Regional OBGYN illegally charged an 18 percent annual interest rate on unpaid patient bills, exceeding the 15 percent limit set by Kansas law.

Controversy over patient debt lawsuits

• ▪An investigation by The New York Times revealed that during his 25-year medical career, Senator Roger Marshall sued more than 700 patients over unpaid bills, resulting in arrests for at least 81 patients.
• ▪Senator Roger Marshall's campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter to Adam Hamilton's campaign, calling a political advertisement about a patient's medical debt arrest defamatory.

Campaign attacks on patient debt record

• ▪Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton criticized Senator Roger Marshall during a debate last month for suing patients over debts as small as $101 and charging high interest rates.
• ▪Former patient Meischa Zimmerman appeared in a campaign advertisement supporting Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton, alleging she was arrested over debt owed for the delivery of her daughter.

Polls in the Kansas Senate race

• ▪A CNN/SSRS poll conducted October 20-26, 2026, showed Adam Hamilton holding a 4-point lead over Senator Roger Marshall, 49 percent to 45 percent.
• ▪An Emerson College poll conducted October 26-28, 2026, showed Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton leading Republican Senator Roger Marshall by 48.7 percent to 45.2 percent among likely Kansas voters.
• ▪A Washington Post/George Mason University poll conducted October 22-26, 2026, gave Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton a 52 percent to 43 percent lead over Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas.

Kansas Senate campaign outlook

• ▪Adam Hamilton raised approximately $10 million in the third quarter of 2026 for his Kansas Senate campaign, whereas Senator Roger Marshall raised less than $1 million.
• ▪On October 30, 2026, prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket flipped to favor Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton over Republican Senator Roger Marshall for the first time.

Donald Trump campaign rally in Kansas

• ▪The White House confirmed on October 30, 2026, that President Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally in Salina, Kansas, on November 1, 2026, in support of Senator Roger Marshall.
• ▪President Donald Trump and Republicans had initially announced the cancellation of the in-person Salina, Kansas rally before reversing course to confirm his attendance for November 1, 2026.