State law bars sexual assault victims from being charged for a forensic exam, and instead the state reimburses the hospitals.

According to the report, the reimbursement tops out at $1,200 with another $300 for a follow-up exam for a procedure that can last four to six hours and in some cases up to 12 hours. It also does not cover the cost of the time a nurse may have to spend in court.

"When you’re not even coming close to covering your costs, then it becomes a problem for a business," Weiss said.

The report estimates actual hospital costs to be roughly $2,800 for the initial examination; $1,000 for basic follow-up; $1,000 for an HIV follow-up; and another $1,600 for a nurse’s court time.

"If we reimburse the health care providers at a rate that is equivalent to the cost, or even just a little bit more, which they would argue for, I believe that they would [provide] the service a lot more than what is being done now," Weiss said.

Hale, with Inova, agrees that funding is the biggest problem. "You wouldn't look toward your local hospital to cover the cost of having a fire department, and forensic nurses are truly essential members of that first response team" in sexual assault cases, she said.