U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, speaks with Republican supporters at the Idaho GOP election night watch party at the Grove Hotel in Boise, Idaho, on Nov. 8, 2022. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

Idaho Republican Congressman Russ Fulcher is hoping to expand the use of private, short-term health insurance.

Fulcher on Thursday announced the introduction of the Removing Insurance Gaps for Health Treatment (RIGHT) Act of 2025, which would extend the maximum allowance for short-term health plans from four months to up to three years. 

Short-term, limited-duration insurance, known as STLDI, are private insurance plans designed to cover temporary gaps in health coverage. The plans are sometimes less expensive than plans offered through state health insurance marketplace plans, but do not always cover as many services and are not subject to the same consumer protection regulations as those compliant with the Affordable Care Act. 

“Four months is far too short a limit, posing undue stress and uncertainty on Americans who would otherwise be left without coverage,” Fulcher said in a press release. “My bill, the RIGHT Act, expands STLDI plans to a full year, with the option to renew for up to three years. This is a practical, no-cost approach that offers families more choice, control, and flexibility to select the healthcare options that work best for them.”

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Insurers offering short term plans can deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions or exclude coverage for those conditions, such as cancer or pregnancy, according to a 2025 analysis by the health policy organization KFF. The analysis also found that “the lowest-cost short-term plan premium for a 40-year-old woman ranges from 6% to 19% higher than the lowest-cost premium for a man.” Regulations under the federal Affordable Care Act, or ACA, prohibit these practices for other types of insurance.  

Short-term plans are sold in 36 states, including Idaho, according to KFF. Plans may be available for three months, with the ability to renew for a total of four months of coverage. 

Federal regulations require short-term insurers to conspicuously notify consumers that the plans are not “comprehensive coverage.” These regulations were crafted in response to misleading marketing and deceptive sales tactics, KFF said. 

The Idaho Department of Insurance in 2019 issued two notices regarding short-term health plans: one warned Idahoans of robocall scams that come “from telemarketing centers and give incomplete information, trying to pass off very limited coverage as comprehensive health insurance,” and the other was a cease and desist letter to a short-term health care insurer soliciting in Idaho that was not licensed to do so. 

The KFF analysis found that the lowest cost short-term plans could cost two-thirds or less than the lowest-cost, unsubsidized Bronze plans sold on the ACA marketplace in the same area. However, the analysis found that the federal premium tax credits, which subsidize marketplace health insurance premium costs, resulted in similarly priced or some cheaper marketplace plans. 

Fulcher introduced the health care bill the same month the enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire, which may cause significant increases in health insurance costs for some.  

In Idaho, the enhanced credits reduced average monthly premiums by more than $400, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. 

The enhanced credits are set to expire at the end of December without congressional action. 

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MERIDIAN, Idaho — Tensions are running high among Latino neighbors in the Treasure Valley this week after federal law enforcement officials, including ICE, took two confirmed individuals into custody in Canyon and Ada Counties.

The latest arrest circulating widely online saw Meridian Police officers assisting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on Friday morning in their pursuit of a previously deported man whom authorities claim had a criminal history.

The 39-year-old suspect was ultimately taken into HSI custody near the intersection of Franklin and Linder Roads. People on the scene sent photos of the incident to Idaho News 6.

ICE activity ramps up across the Treasure Valley

Latest ICE activity in the Treasure Valley

The Meridian Police Department told Idaho News 6 that federal officers initiated the pursuit because they knew the driver was a person with a prior criminal history who had previously been deported and was subject to a reinstated order of removal.

Authorities say that when they stopped the man, they found two fraudulent immigration documents and a fake Social Security card.

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This was not the first immigration related arrest this week.

As Idaho News 6 previously reported, Nampa business owner Tim Cook witnessed and recorded an immigration arrest on early Wednesday morning at the intersection of Canyon and Roosevelt in Nampa.

In Cook’s words. “I mean, it was almost like a kidnapping. It was gone in 90 seconds.” Those officers were seen wearing vests that said “ICE.”

After extensive online chatter about an arrest Thursday night in Caldwell’s Farmway Village, Idaho News 6 has since confirmed that the incident was not ICE-related and instead, a woman was taken into custody for a warrant issued by Payette County.

Mike Dittinber, Executive Director of the Caldwell Housing Authority, said that many members of the Latino community are worried about future ICE operations. He added that it’s important not to be misled by false information.

“We appreciate the diversity in our community, and when that diversity comes into question, or when that diversity is somewhat subject to scrutiny— it should make everybody uncomfortable,” said Dittinber

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As for local law enforcement’s involvement, Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram issued a statement on Friday saying that CPD does not enforce federal immigration laws. However, Chief Ingram did concede that in the unlikely event ICE needs immediate assistance, CPD officers will step in.

Estefania Mondragon, the Executive Director of PODER of Idaho, a local advocacy group, says many incidents involve people driving to work. They suggest that families prepare for potential encounters with immigration enforcement.

“Memorize phone numbers and have a family plan ready in case the worst is to happen,” said Mondragon. PODER of Idaho advises targeted individuals not to sign any documentation until a lawyer is present.

Toys for Tots Idaho is experiencing a significant increase in demand this year, with more children on their list than last year.

Currently, 8,400 children are still awaiting toys, and the list is growing by a few hundred each day.

The organization is in urgent need of toy donations to meet the needs of these children.

The organization has provided toys to 25,546 children so far in 2025, surpassing the 25,436 children supported in 2024.

They aim to give each child at least one toy, two stocking stuffers, a teddy bear, and a book.

Donations can be made at Idaho’s Largest Toy Drive taking place at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Meridian daily from 6am to 6pm.

Donations can also be made through their Amazon wish list, accessible via their website, ToysforTotsIdaho.com, with toys shipped directly to their warehouse.

The organization is also supporting various agencies and community partners, including The Salvation Army Caldwell, Emmett Valley Friendship Coalition, and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, among others.