There have been thousands of lawsuits by Kansas hospitals in recent years, including many lawsuits for less than $500. One lawsuit was for just $104.

MEDICINE LODGE, Kansas — Sarrah Miller and her husband, Kyle, live in a rambunctious household filled with children in a rural town of about 1,700 people.

Last month, a knock on the door interrupted dinner. It was the Barber County sheriff serving Kyle papers.

Their local medical clinic, Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital, was suing him for $230 of unpaid debt from a nonroutine visit. In all caps and bold letters, the words “court summons” stood out at the top of the page.

“My husband travels. He’s gone most of the week for work. There was just no way that he was going to be able to attend that court date,” Sarrah said. “I just kind of ha

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