COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? - any advice?

The COBRA quote for my family is $300 a month and I do not know how to afford it. I am in Providence, in case local advice matters. My old employer will not help with the premium. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.