Some of the people most clearly affected by Gov. Scott Walker's proposed changes in Wisconsin's Medicaid program are those with a prescription drug plan unique to the state: SeniorCare.

The plan, which started in 2002 and covers 91,000 low-income seniors, is an alternative to Medicare Part D, a federal drug benefit that began four years later. Under Walker's budget, SeniorCare recipients who qualify for the federal plan would have to sign up for it in January, saving the state $15 million over two years.

The move is part of $500 million in cuts in the biennial budget to Medicaid, the state-federal health program for the poor. Medicaid covers 1.2 million people in Wisconsin, or one in five residents, through SeniorCare, BadgerCare Plus, Family Care and other services.

Nearly everyone on SeniorCare would have to enroll in Medicare Part D, which has options costing $15 to $110 a month, with an average of $58 a month, said John Hendrick, government affairs director of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups.

SeniorCare costs $30 a year, plus co-pays and other expenses depending on income level. Supporters of the plan say it's simpler than Medicare Part D and more cost effective because it's supported by drug company rebates.