COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - 12 months and counting

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a data-entry clerk. My old employer will not help with the premium. How did you decide?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

If you have a planned treatment, COBRA can make sense for a few months. Otherwise look at the marketplace first.