In its rush to blunt public opposition to the newly enacted health reform law, the Obama administration is on a collision course with Republicans as the November midterm elections loom.On behalf of his reform agenda, President Barack Obama in recent weeks bypassed the Senate to make a "recess" appointment of a new Medicare and Medicaid administrator, Donald Berwick, while Congress was adjourned for the Independence Day holiday. Berwick had been targeted for defeat by vocal Republicans over comments he had made about attractive aspects of the United Kingdom's National Health Service.1 In June the president also described insurance reform provisions of the law already going into effect as a "true Patient's Bill of Rights," containing changes sought by many consumer advocates since the 1990s.2 And he had warned private insurers not to impose unreasonable premium hikes in the coming months as they position themselves to withstand the effects of health reform.
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