COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? - what worked for you?

The COBRA quote for my family is $250 a month and I do not know how to afford it. Any experience at all would help. 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 got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.