Washington, DC — Tonight, Rep. Roger Marshall (KS-01) won the Kansas Republican Senate primary and will face off against Democratic State Sen. Barbara Bollier in November. Throughout his time in Congress, Rep. Marshall has opposed Medicaid expansion for Kansans and voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. In response to tonight’s primary result, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:
“Roger Marshall is wrong for Kansas, particularly as America faces the ever worsening coronavirus pandemic. Marshall, who was a critical player in the push to strip health care from over 200,000 Kansans in 2017, wants to make it harder for people to access Medicaid at a time when it’s more important than ever to ensure people have access to the care they need. Kansans have a clear choice in November — a candidate who wants to take health care away or State Sen. Bollier, a doctor who will work to lower health care costs, improve health care and take the necessary steps to protect us from the coronavirus.”
BACKGROUND:
Rogers Marshall Supports Repealing The ACA And Its Protections For 1.2 Million Kansans with Pre-Existing Conditions
2017: Marshall Voted For AHCA. Marshall voted for passage of the American Health Care Act. [HR 1628, Roll Call Vote #256, 5/4/17]
What Did AHCA Mean for Kansas?
- By 2026, 212,100 Kansans would lose coverage under this bill, including 53,300 in Yoder’s’ district.
- The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the American Health Care Act would have raised premiums 20 percent in 2018.
- AHCA imposed what the AARP calls an “age tax” on older Americans. In Kansas, out-of-pocket costs for older people could increase by as much as $12,489 by 2026.
- The negative economic impact of the American Health Care Act would cause 5,698 Kansans to lose their jobs by 2022, including 1,154 in the 3rd congressional district
2020: Marshall Claims To Support “Covering Individuals With Pre-Existing Conditions,” But Continues To Support Repeal Of The ACA. “As a physician, Doc has seen firsthand the negative consequences of government-controlled healthcare systems. Obamacare, and now, government-controlled socialized medicine are some of the most egregious examples of what Doc has fought against. Government-run healthcare has not only harmed small business, but directly interferes with the doctor-patient relationship. For health care delivery to thrive in America and rural Kansas, we must repeal and replace these broken systems. In Congress, Congressman Marshall voted in favor of the repeal of the individual mandate, repeal of the Cadillac tax, and the repeal of the medical device tax; all of which President Trump then signed into law. Dr. Marshall supports covering individuals with pre-existing conditions.” [Kansans for Marshall, accessed 8/3/20]
2017: Marshall Was Part Of The GOP Doctors Caucus, A “Critical Player” In Efforts To Repeal. “When the longtime obstetrician first announced his candidacy in April 2015, it was far from a given that he could unseat a Republican incumbent or that his party would win the White House and complete control of Congress. But now he finds himself thrust straight into the hotter-than-ever fire of Washington health policy — and his party finds itself tantalizingly close to its dream of repealing the Affordable Care Act. ‘Letting the government run anything, including health care, what happens is prices go up and competition goes down,’ Marshall said in a recent interview at his office. ‘What we were doing was not working.’ He plans to add his on-the-ground experiences with the law to the debate in the halls of the Capitol. ‘I may be the only physician in Congress to help run a hospital.’ Marshall has joined the GOP Doctors Caucus, a group of 16 lawmakers with health care backgrounds who have put themselves at the center of the effort to unwind the Affordable Care Act. Two of its members have introduced legislation that would undo major elements of the ACA, and all see themselves as critical players in shaping whatever would replace it.” [Stat, 3/3/17]
2017: Marshall Opposes Medicaid Expansion Because “There Is A Group Of People That Just Don’t Want Health Care And Aren’t Going To Take Care Of Themselves.” “The law’s Medicaid expansion, which Kansas has not adopted despite support from many hospitals, including some of Marshall’s former colleagues, is one of the big sticking points for Republicans. Many GOP-led states adopted it and want to see it preserved in some form. Marshall doesn’t believe it has helped, an outlook that sheds light on how this new player in Washington understands health policy. ‘Just like Jesus said, ‘The poor will always be with us,’ he said. ‘There is a group of people that just don’t want health care and aren’t going to take care of themselves.’ Pressed on that point, Marshall shrugged. ‘Just, like, homeless people. … I think just morally, spiritually, socially, [some people] just don’t want health care,’ he said. ‘The Medicaid population, which is [on] a free credit card, as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising. And I’m not judging, I’m just saying socially that’s where they are. So there’s a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought [into] the ER.’” [Stat, 3/3/17]