— The American Health Care Act, the Republican's plan to replace former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, could cost older Americans thousands of dollars more each year, according to health care experts.

Dr. Jonathan Oberlander, a professor of social medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, said different age groups and income brackets will be affected differently.

The demographic that will be hit hardest by this new plan, Oberlander said, are low-income people between ages 55 and 64 who live in rural areas.

In Wayne County, the GOP's replacement could cost people $11,000 more per year:

–Tax Credit (subsidy) Under Obamacare in 2020: $15,210

–Tax Credit Under GOP Plan in 2020: $4,000

Oberlander said the reason rural areas are hit harder is because the tax credit under Obamacare is based on the cost of insurance in that area—the cost of insurance is typically higher in rural areas.

Under the Republicans plan, though, the tax credit is based on one national rate, so it doesn't matter how much insurance costs where you live.

The Republican bill also allows insurers to charge older enrollees five times as much as younger enrollees, which could also make it more expensive for older age brackets.

"Under this Republican plan, insurers can now charge older Americans five times the amount they charge younger Americans," Oberlander said. "That's much higher than what is allowed under the ACA. The bottom line it the premiums are going to be much higher that are charged, and the subsidy is going to be lower."

Oberlander said thousands of North Carolinians in that age bracket won't be able to afford insurance

But in Wake and Durham Counties, older Americans will still get a much lower tax subsidy under the new GOP plan.

For people who are at least 60 years old and make $40,000 per year in Wake County:

–Tax Credit (subsidy) Under Obamacare in 2020: $10,610

–Tax Credit Under GOP Plan in 2020: $4,000

It's about the same in Durham County:

–Tax Credit (subsidy) Under Obamacare in 2020: $11,090

–Tax Credit Under GOP Plan in 2020: $4,000

The plan would leave buyers with less money to purchase insurance in the Healthcare Marketplace.

Older Americans typically need more care, more often. They would have to hope for manageable premiums to be able to afford insurance. Oberlander said that could be a hit to the healthcare system in our state."

"They'll go uninsured," Oberlander said. "They'll go back to emergency rooms and hospitals like this. They'll go to safety net clinics, and a lot of them will do without (treatment)."