More than that, some proposals would eliminate employer-sponsored insurance altogether. In theory, this is a prudent move that would translate into the most coverage for the most Americans. But it would be majorly disruptive, so Americans should expect a decade or more of issues before all the kinks are worked out.

The Affordable Care Act was passed nearly a decade ago, and there are still major issues that need to be resolved.

Also, America’s health care industry represents trillions of dollars in the economy and, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “health care is the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy, employing over 18 million workers.” What happens to all those workers when we, rightly, reduce our health care spending and restructure the American health care system?

There are hundreds of thousands of people working as life and health insurers. What happens to those people if we eliminate private health insurance?

The sad truth is that inefficiency and inequality can sometimes be employment engines, requiring an ever-growing universe of workers to adjust to a system that doesn’t work as well as it should. Fixing the system can not only eliminate waste in terms of cost, but also in terms of labor. It can be a jobs killer. Progressives should confront this paradox head-on and tell voters how they plan to address it.

Also, the federal government is a clunky bureaucracy and isn’t always efficient and effective in accomplishing small tasks, let alone large, transformational changes in the American economy and the American culture. It is quite likely that there could be chaos, confusion and disappointments in the short term. Voters should be warned about that by candidates and be prepared for it.

Now, the fact that something is hard doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done. But voters should not be sold a fairy tale that sweeping proposals would instantly change everyone’s lives for the better without a hitch.