MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Republicans in control of the Legislature's budget committee say no changes are planned to Gov. Scott Walker administration's proposal to cut roughly half a billion dollars from Medicaid programs.

Co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee said before a hearing on the plan Thursday that they were comfortable with the proposal, which they say will preserve BadgerCare programs without dramatically cutting benefits or forcing people off the plans.

The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau says the changes will results in about 65,000 people losing Medicaid eligibility. About 28,000 of them are people who have access to employer sponsored plans.

Once the plan is approved as expected by the budget committee, it will go to President Barack Obama's administration which must grant a waiver.

Without that, more than 50,000 people could lose coverage.