COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives?

The COBRA quote for my family is $1000 a month and I do not know how to afford it. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 2 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.