COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - 15 weeks in

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a barista. 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?

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

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.