The Affordable Care Act has yet to prove itself the best solution to health care reform.

CAL: "A train wreck" is what Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has famously called the Affordable Care Act. In the words of a Johnny Cash song, "I hear the train a comin', it's rolling round the bend," and the collision between what was promised and reality will occur on Oct. 1, when the law's health exchanges begin to open.

BOB: That quote from Baucus came when he was running for re-election, but he has decided against another campaign. I spoke to him recently, and he will be a forceful advocate for President Obama's law. Like many other incumbents when he was up for re-election, Baucus knew the opponents of health reform had gotten out front with negative messages about ObamaCare and had filled Americans with blatant falsehoods about the law.

CAL: What? You mean politicos say one thing when campaigning but do another when elected? I'm shocked!

BOB: I'll bet you are.

CAL: Congress has again won an exemption from having to live with laws it passes for the rest of us. As Kimberley Strassel wrote in The Wall Street Journal, "The Affordable Care Act states clearly that all members of Congress and their staff must buy their health insurance through an ObamaCare exchange," which bans employer contributions. Members protested, and the rules have been rewritten so they and their staff can keep government health care contributions they had before ObamaCare. That's outrageous.

BOB: I agree. It was a huge mistake to grant Congress an exemption from the law's clear language. This only highlights why Congress is perceived to be so out of touch with the average American. This is just another example of Congress living large at the expense of the taxpayer. Lawmakers knew it was in the bill when they passed it, and they should live with it.

CAL: If ObamaCare were a product and the manufacturer made claims that were untrue, defrauding consumers, that company would be dragged into court. Even worse than the violation of its own law is the administration deciding which parts of the law it will obey and which it will ignore, or unilaterally change. You try deciding which laws you will obey and which you won't and see what happens.

BOB: Changing America's bloated and inefficient health care system will take time and require changes along the way. There have already been some legislative changes, and the Supreme Court's ruling on the law last year will lead to more major changes. Medicare and Social Security, both of which created strong opposition when they were enacted, have evolved. I'm sure there are examples of ObamaCare not living up to the original concept, but that is true of any major legislation.

CAL: You want examples? National Journal reports: "For the vast majority of Americans, premium prices will be higher in the individual exchange than what they're currently paying for employer-sponsored benefits." Adding more expenses to consumers' insurance bills is a rise in deductibles under the law. In a recent interview, the president said, "For a lot of people, (the law) will be cheaper than your cellphone bill." I guess that depends on the meaning of "a lot" and whose bill he's talking about. It's probably not his bill.

BOB: Already, millions of Americans are benefiting from ObamaCare, including me. Since I had heart bypass surgery, a pre-existing condition, I could not get insurance, but under the new health care law, I am covered. Other changes would be welcome, like allowing sales of insurance policies across state lines and tort reform, which would limit doctors' exposure to massive unfair lawsuits.

CAL: I agree, Bob, and I'm happy for you, but personal experience can make for bad public policy. These things should be part of a separate bill that would gain strong bipartisan support, but ObamaCare is going to be a disaster for those who currently have insurance they like, and it will not live up to the expectations of people without insurance who think the law is going to be good for them and the country.

BOB: There are 46 million uninsured who get health care mostly from emergency rooms. The costs are then passed on to those with insurance. Getting these people coverage will save the rest of us massive amounts of money.

CAL: We're beginning to see the consequences of the law even before it kicks in. Some doctors are retiring; some younger people are not going into medicine. Many businesses are reducing hours for employees and hiring only part-time workers. Politically favored companies are getting extensions or exemptions. The health system will become overloaded as it is in Britain, where waiting for treatment is common and thousands of unnecessary deaths have occurred. The British National Health Service faces insolvency. If it isn't working in a country smaller than ours, why would anyone have faith it can work here?

BOB: You might want to get your ear off the train track, Cal, and look at the millions of Americans who already benefit from ObamaCare. Seniors paying less for prescription drugs; young people who can stay on their parents' insurance policies until they are 26; and most important, people with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage. That's a train I'd like to get on!

CAL: The cheaper drugs are thanks to the Bush administration, but I agree there are some provisions of the law, including those you mention, that are good and could be part of new legislation.

BOB: We agree our system is broken. You may not like ObamaCare, but changes are necessary.

CAL: I agree, but change for the sake of change won't do. I fear the health care train is going to jump the track.


Cal Thomas is a conservative columnist. Bob Beckel is a liberal Democratic strategist. But as longtime friends, they can often find common ground on issues that lawmakers in Washington cannot.