A local hospital saw nearly one million dollars in unpaid bills in 2012. According to Washington County Hospital and Clinics CEO, Dennis Hunger, the hospital absorbed $900,000 worth of write-offs and unpaid debts. He explains that if an uninsured person is admitted to the hospital, they try to find all funding sources, and if there aren’t any, they absorb the cost.

While the Affordable Health Care Act includes an individual mandate for insurance, Hunger says that provision isn’t about protecting hospitals from unpaid bills, but instead is meant to ensure more people have healthcare.