COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives?

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a school bus driver. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. 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 14 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.