Melanie Evans – The Affordable Care Act isn’t wiping out unpaid hospital bills

The economy of Gillette, Wyo., has slumped along with the fortunes of companies like Devon Energy and Peabody Energy, which have slashed jobs because of the prolonged downturn in oil and gas prices. Taxes on property, coal and oil support the county-owned hospital, but revenue has dipped because of dwindling population and a rising number of uninsured residents amid the …