The $68 is my Social Security--that is, what I'm allowed to keep of it. The bulk of my Soc Sec goes to the nursing home. Then Medicaid kicks in and covers the rest of the cost.
This is the standard deal for anyone in a nursing home who's on Medicaid: $68 in Soc Sec, no supplementary Soc Sec, no food stamps.
Fair enough, since Medicaid ends up paying lots of bucks for my room, board, and care. But it is rather spartan, since the $68 is intended to pay for every expense other than the nursing home--clothing, shoes, subscriptions, chocolate bars, e-cigs, papal indulgences, Viagra . . .
If a person with a pension qualifies for Medicaid the procedures are more complicated but the bottom line is the same: $68 a month.
In light of all this you might better appreciate a blog post from April Fool's Day 2014: