People high up in the government agree with you! From the aftermath of healthcare.gov, two US government entities were created:

1. 18F - An pool of in-house developers working with agencies to build (or rebuild) services. https://18f.gsa.gov/

2. US Digital Service - A group of technologists quietly trying to rescue projects (like healthcare.gov, the VA) and change policy. http://www.whitehouse.gov/digital/united-states-digital-serv...

Plenty of roadblocks and difficult times ahead for both groups - but unlike before when failure was guaranteed, they've already had some wins and have a non-zero chance of success.