When your reporters write a story about how the status of Medicare Advantage plans--privately operated Medicare that uses large extra subsidies, running about 30% over regular Medicare--whose operators are fiercely defending their plump extra profits by threatening seniors with benefit cuts, think twice about what you headline the story.

Perhaps: "Nelson supports insurance company efforts to defend subsidies"?
Or: "Nelson plays along with insurance industry scare tactics"?

But please: who in Heavens' name came up with "Senator Tries to Allay Fears on Health Overhaul"

It's true that Advantage plans offer meager extra benefits, dangled before beneficiaries while most of the extra covers insurance company operating costs and profits. And it's certainly true that the insurance companies have used those profits not just to lobby Nelson and other directly with abundant campaign contributions, but also to whip up fear among their clients. But eliminating Advantage would not cut Medicare benefits a bit: it would rather remove an inefficient middleman.