COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - 9 months and counting

The COBRA quote for my family is $850 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?

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.

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