As Ms. Rampell wrote, the federal government’s failure is “infuriating.” And but lots of these outraged by the present show of bureaucratic ineptitude would little doubt argue that the U.S. health-care system ought to resemble that of Britain or Canada, the place the federal government runs every little thing.

This shouldn’t be an endorsement of a establishment the place insurance coverage firm errors are simply as frequent as authorities mishaps. Indeed, our system would profit if bureaucrats — be they within the authorities or the insurance coverage business — had much less management over our well being care.

Restoring Medicaid to its mission as a security web for the really needy is one place to start out. Giving folks — not insurance coverage firms — management over their health-care {dollars} is one other.

Dean Clancy, Sarasota, Fla.

The author is senior well being coverage fellow at Americans for Prosperity.