Fact check: Contrary to Trump’s claim, no law required Roger Marshall to sue his patients

Key Points:

• Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican and obstetrician-gynecologist in Kansas, has faced criticism for suing hundreds of patients over unpaid medical bills and charging an 18% annual interest rate, with some patients arrested after missing court dates.
• President Trump claimed Marshall was legally required to aggressively collect debts and could have faced arrest if he did not, but no state or federal law mandates doctors to sue patients or impose such high interest rates.
• Experts and legal analysis show that healthcare providers have broad discretion to forgive debts or use gentler collection methods, and federal laws allow waiver of copays for financial hardship without penalty.
• The White House cited federal laws related to reasonable collection efforts for Medicare and Medicaid patients but omitted that these laws permit debt forgiveness and do not require lawsuits or criminal penalties for non-collection.
• Marshall’s Democratic opponent criticized his practices as extreme and predatory, highlighting the voluntary nature of suing patients and charging high interest, which go beyond standard medical billing practices.