Rage has long shadowed American health care. It’s rarely produced big change.

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Among the biggest-grossing films in America in February 2002 were a war drama about American troops in Somalia (“Black Hawk Down”), an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie (“Collateral Damage”), and a future Oscar winner about a brilliant mathematician struggling with schizophrenia (“A Beautiful Mind”).

But none of these films topped the box office that month. That title went to “John Q.,” a movie about health insurance.