So extending these subsidies would cost an estimated $350 billion over the next decade.

The president and a number of Republicans have suggested they would rather give that money to people directly rather than to insurance companies.

So for a deeper dive on what we do now, we get two different views.

Jonathan Cohn is senior writer at the

bulwark and author of The Ten Year War, Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage.

And Brian Blaze is president of Paragon Health Institute. He served on the National Economic Council

during the First Trump administration. He testified in front of Congress yesterday on rising health care costs.

Gentlemen, welcome to you both. Jonathan Cohn, to you first, we just heard from several of people who are alarmed at the prospect of what might happen to their insurance if these subsidies are not extended.

Given the deadline that we are up against, what do you think is the best course of action?

What should we be doing now?

Well, if you're just talking short term, I think there's a pretty easy answer to that.

Extend the subsidies for one year or for two years. There's a broader conversation to be had

about how to fix the health care system, how to either improve or change the Affordable Care Act.

This is a debate we've been having for 10 years. Democrats put forward legislation at the

beginning of this year to talk about that.

People like us have been talking about this for months.

The time to sort of do a bigger conversation was six months ago because it takes time to work these things out.

Brian, Bleeze, you testified before Congress yesterday arguing that the ACA and somehow the

way these subsidies are structured is a principal driver of rising costs.

The president, as I mentioned, has suggested funneling that money directly to individuals instead.

What do you make of that idea?

What do you think we ought to be doing now?

...