U.S. Senator Roger Marshall faces a class-action lawsuit filed by a former patient in Barton County District Court, alleging his former medical practice charged an illegal 18 percent annual interest rate on medical debt. The late-October 2026 legal challenge comes as Marshall campaigns in a tight midterm race against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton.
Meischa Zimmerman Files Class-Action Usury Lawsuit in Barton County
Meischa Zimmerman filed a class-action lawsuit on Thursday, October 30, 2026, in Barton County District Court against U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and his former medical practice, Heartland Regional OBGYN. The complaint accuses the Republican incumbent and his former clinic of subjecting patients—many of them low-income, uninsured, or underinsured mothers—to a debt-collection scheme that charged an 18 percent annual interest rate.
Under Kansas law, statutory limits cap allowable interest at 15 percent per annum. Born in El Dorado, Marshall earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1987 and served seven years as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves. He practiced as an OB-GYN in Great Bend for more than 25 years before entering Congress, where he has focused on agricultural and healthcare policy while serving on key Senate committees, including Agriculture, Finance, Budget, and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Arrest Warrants and Medical Debt Collection Practices
Zimmerman, who received obstetrical care from Marshall in 2009, stated that the practice sued her over a $3,596 bill for the delivery of her child. According to the court filing, debt collection efforts linked to the unpaid balance and interest led to her arrest on three separate occasions while she was eight months pregnant. Ellinwood attorney Kent Roth noted that the lawsuit stems from predatory billing practices directed at economically vulnerable patients.
An investigation by The New York Times revealed that Marshall’s practice sued more than 700 former patients to collect unpaid bills, with damages ranging from $101 to thousands of dollars. When patients failed to appear in court, those proceedings resulted in the arrest of 81 patients. A review of roughly 150 medical practices across the state by The Kansas City Star found that Marshall’s practice charged the highest annual interest rate among all reviewed clinics, with no other provider charging above 12 percent.
Campaign Fallout and Marshall’s Closing Video Defense
Defying top campaign advisers who opposed the move, Marshall released a pre-recorded video responding to the scrutiny over his private practice background.
To ensure that 40,000 Kansans would still have access to care, we did have to keep the lights on, so we occasionally handed some accounts over to collection agencies, just like nearly every private medical practice does.
Sen. Roger Marshall, U.S. Senator for Kansas
Marshall also defended his personal involvement, stating in the video that his role ended the moment an account went to an outside agency and maintaining that he never had anyone arrested.
Polling Shifts and Financial Discrepancies in the Final Days
The political landscape in Kansas has shifted in recent years, fueled by Democratic gains in the Kansas City suburbs where Democratic Representative Sharice Davids flipped the 3rd District in 2018. While previous Republican nominees like John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012 won the state comfortably by about 15 and 22 points respectively, and Marshall himself defeated Democrat Barbara Bollier by more than 11 points in 2020, the current cycle has drawn intense scrutiny and late battleground status.
Financial disclosures underscore the late-stage campaign dynamics. As the race neared its conclusion, President Donald Trump briefly altered travel plans before confirming a rally in Salina, Kansas, as part of the final campaign stops ahead of Election Day.