COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? after 16 years as an operations analyst

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as an operations analyst. I do not usually post, so bear with me. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky.

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

I priced both side by side: total yearly cost, doctors in network and the deductible. Marketplace was cheaper for us, but only because our doctors were covered.