COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? - 14 months and counting

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as an insurance claims processor. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Is the decision time really that tight?

A quick call to the plan's member line cleared up two things for us that the letter did not.