States Can Remove SCHIP 5-Year Waiting Period

President Obama has signed the Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation, which repeals the 5-year waiting period for immigrant children. Under the new legislation, legal immigrant children from families who meet the income requirements no longer have to wait five years for state health insurance. Matching federal dollars, funded by the new tobacco taxes, will be given to the states that choose to provide this coverage.

During signing of the legislation, President Obama mentioned the waiting period repeal:

In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiations, and health care for our children is one of those obligations. That is why we have passed this legislation. These legislators have passed this legislation on a bipartisan basis to continue coverage for 7 million children, cover an additional 4 million children in need, and finally lift the ban on states providing insurance to legal immigrant children if they choose to do so.

President Obama's full remarks made at the SCHIP legislation signing can be found on the White House blog.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand attended the signing. Gillibrand, who is revisiting her stance on immigration after feeling the heat, voted in favor of SCHIP both in the House and Senate.

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