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

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a customer-service rep. There are 17 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Is the decision time really that tight?

Check what the notice says about the election period and when coverage starts. Mine allowed a short window to choose.

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