Opinion: To implement Obamacare, look to Bush's Medicare reform

This past spring, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) called the impending implementation of the Affordable Care Act "a huge train wreck." His words caught my attention because the last time the federal government delivered a new health-care benefit to more than 40 million people, I drove the train. As secretary of health and human services during President George W. Bush's second term, I faced the daunting task of rolling out Medicare's new prescription drug benefit. Commonly referred to as "Part D," the program is considered a tremendous success: Premiums have remained low, the program operates well under its projected budget and 90 percent of seniors are satisfied with their plan.