2 maps show how bad the Obamacare time-bomb could get for Democrats if it goes off just before the midterms

There is a chance that a political time-bomb will go off before voters cast their votes.

President Joe Biden made health insurance more affordable for millions of people last year by increasing subsidies. That was an important part of the law that was designed to improve the health care system.

If Democrats don't revive a reconciliation bill that extends the financial assistance past the end of the year, that temporary program will end. 13 million Americans benefiting from the program will be hit by steep price hikes during a punishing stretch of inflation.

There could definitely be a political impact if they are not extended, according to Charles Gaba, a healthcare policy analyst.

The vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation said that middle-class people buying their own insurance would be hit hardest if the American Rescue Plan is not renewed.

Voters would start getting notifications about their premium increases in late October, just as they start voting for the November elections. The start of the next open enroll period for the ACA would inform others about their insurance bill increases scheduled to kick in next year.

Potential premium hikes were calculated using different scenarios based on age, income, marital status, and family size. He stressed that his figures do not represent final amounts, but serve as a range of where insurers will likely set their rates. A household made up of a 60-year old married couple earning $75,000 could see their household income increase.

A couple nearing retirement age in West Virginia would see their monthly premium go up $2,702 if enhanced Obamacare subsidies expired. Democrats cannot revive a bill without the support of Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has been open to reviving pieces of Biden's agenda without committing to any specific plans. He hasn't committed to renewing the program in a smaller package.

Georgia, New Hampshire, and Arizona are all states that Democrats are trying to defend in the November elections. People with higher incomes would lose access to government help.

If you are in that situation, you would see all financial aid removed and your net cost would go up a lot.

Younger, single Americans who are around 30 years old and earn $40,000 annually would see their premiums increase. They pay less for health coverage under the new law because they will still be able to get some financial help from the government.

Lower-income Americans with incomes less than 150% of the federal poverty level often pay little or nothing for coverage since the federal government started picking up the tab. If the program ends, that wouldn't be the case.

Insider reached out to four Democratic lawmakers locked in competitive races.

All of them responded to the request for comment on the issue. The spokespeople for Kelly, Cortez-Masto, and Hassan all reiterated their support for keeping healthcare costs in check without mentioning reconciliation.

Marisol Samayoa, a spokeswoman for Senator Kelly, said in a statement to Insider that he is working to prevent an increase in insurance premiums.

20 Senate Democrats urged Biden to make extending the subsidies a priority in his plan. They included Sinema, a Democratic holdout who flummoxed Democrats last fall over her resistance to tax rate increases.