BOSTON – Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday directed MassHealth to waive insurance premiums for low-income children, affecting thousands of families with children in or eligible for in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) whose parents are paying individual premiums for Commonwealth Care coverage.

Adults with incomes less than three times the federal poverty level can received subsidized health insurance through Commonwealth Care. But, if they have children covered under the MassHealth program, they previously faced monthly premiums of $12 to $28 per child.

For a family with three or more children, the waiver could mean savings of up to $84 per month, the governor said in his announcement last night. “This proposal complements the efforts … to lower some Commonwealth Care premiums and expand health-insurance coverage,” Patrick said.

“This is absolutely the right thing to do for families,” said JudyAnn Bigby, the state’s secretary of health and human services. “I am pleased the state could provide additional incentives for people to secure health insurance.”