COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? (Hartford)

The COBRA quote for my family is $250 a month and I do not know how to afford it. I am in Hartford, in case local advice matters. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 9 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.