Medicare less worried about you than the IRS?

The maximum the IRS may legally garnishee Social Security benefits for owed taxes is 15% of everything over $750 a month. This recognizes basic survival needs -- if perhaps not even enough.

In this light how much sense does it make to allow Medicare Part B to deduct $96.40 a month out of retirements benefits no matter how low your monthly payments or how poor you are? Medicaid already covers the uncovered 20% of Medicare Part B doctor visit fees and all or almost all of Part D drug premiums for the very poor.

When it comes time to repair the "donut hole" in drug coverage (by permitting government back into the market to bargain for lowest prices), maybe it should also be time to look at the draconian Medicare deduction in the benefits of our poorest retirees.