Making Kids Wait for Coverage Makes No Sense in a Reformed Health System

Waiting periods make no sense when the goal is to create near universal access to continuous coverage and families are penalized for not having insurance. Given the administrative complexity of transitioning children between coverage options, it is virtually impossible to ensure that they will not face a gap in coverage. To this end, 20 of 38 states with waiting periods are dropping their waiting periods. This updated brief examines changes that the Affordable Care Act makes to waiting periods and provides an updated 50-state table showing the current status of waiting periods across the country.

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