COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives?

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as an accounts payable clerk. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Did anyone switch mid-year?

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

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.