This action by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) appears to be an open and apparent violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

It was not long ago that President Obama assured us that he wanted his "Government Option" health care plan to add more competition to the current health insurance carriers. Many of us maintained that private enterprises, including health care insurance providers, cannot compete against a government that does not have to make a profit, writes the laws and rules, and can print all the money it wants.

Now it appears that "gag orders," or worse, will be used to quiet those who dare to oppose ObamaCare.

The federal government resorted to bullying tactics when it ordered an investigation of Humana -- one of the country's biggest private insurers -- for its decision to send customers a letter alerting them about pending health reform legislation, a leading Republican charged.

U.S. health officials launched the probe after the Louisville-based company mailed a letter to patients enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans -- private options that replace standard Medicare -- warning that President Obama's health overhaul could eliminate important benefits of the program.

Humana said in its letter that if Medicare Advantage funding gets cut, "millions of seniors and disabled individuals ... could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage health plans so valuable."

In a few short months ObamaCare has gone from a socialized health care plan, to a government takeover of our health care, to thuggish control of the opposition.