COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - 4 months and counting

The COBRA quote for my family is $1200 a month and I do not know how to afford it. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

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.