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

The COBRA quote for my family is $250 a month and I do not know how to afford it. I saw that marketplace plans might cost less. Is the decision time really that tight?

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.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It made the follow-up calls so much easier.