OPINION: Health care is about people, not politics
In less than 30 days, many Idaho families will see their health care costs rise sharply because of federal cuts, state budget gaps, and policy changes. Medical care will become more expensive and burdened with more restrictions.
Kootenai Democrats are concerned about these changes because we support policies that uphold human dignity by ensuring everyone has access to the high-quality expertise and interventions needed to live a healthy, productive life. And we aren’t alone in our concern. Across the political aisle, Idaho’s congressional representatives understand the unpopularity of health care cuts.
Recently, Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson supported two different pieces of health care legislation that offer narrow benefits to only some Idahoans — and they are counting on you not to look too closely.
Fulcher is promoting a bill to expand the use of short-term limited-duration insurance — plans widely known as “junk insurance.” Designed for people between jobs, these plans can use medical underwriting, cap payouts, or even rescind policies retroactively. And they are not required to cover the essential health benefits mandated by the ACA. In short, you can pay premiums, but still find yourself without coverage when you need care most. Just don’t end up in the hospital, get cancer, become pregnant, or have any preexisting conditions. These plans are so problematic that they come with a federally mandated warning label stating: “not comprehensive coverage.” Despite this, Fulcher wants Idahoans to be allowed to carry these inadequate plans for up to three years instead of just three months.
It’s as if Fulcher is supporting legislation that anticipates extended gaps in employment under Trump’s economic policies.
Simpson, meanwhile, has co-sponsored a different bill called the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, extending through 2030 a program that allows certain moderately ill patients to receive hospital-level care at home — but only if their hospital offers it, their insurer covers it, and their condition qualifies. While helpful for a narrow set of urban patients, it does nothing for the thousands of Idahoans who will see their premiums jump on January 1.
Neither of these bills addresses the larger crisis facing Idaho families: rapidly rising premiums.
For the 2026 plan year, the Idaho Department of Insurance expects individual-market premiums to rise 10% on average and small-group plans to rise 11%. For many households, increases will reach roughly $100 more per month — and far more for those who rely on subsidies.
Idahoans deserve leaders with the courage to fix the real problems — leaders who will protect access to high-quality health care that supports a healthy, productive life, rather than pushing low-quality alternatives or sidestepping the true crisis.
The very infrastructure that sustains health care dignity in Idaho is cracking as we watch Medicaid cuts take effect. When Medicaid is weakened, dignity is the first casualty. Seniors may be uprooted from the assisted-living homes where they have built their lives. Families delay care until conditions spiral into emergencies. Hospitals absorb preventable crises at far higher costs. These cuts don’t save money — they shift the burden onto hospitals, taxpayers, and families.
When public systems like Medicaid are weakened, the strain spills over onto private insurance, driving costs up for everyone. And in just a few weeks, Idaho families will feel the consequences of leaders who refuse to address the real issues.
Idaho can and must do better. Protecting dignity means protecting access: ensuring reimbursement rates that keep providers in our communities, supporting managed care, and investing in behavioral health, maternal care, and access for rural families. Idaho’s values — self-reliance, neighborliness, and stewardship — demand nothing less.
Health care is not about politics; it is about people.
• • •
Sarah Martin is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.