COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - any advice?

I just got my COBRA paperwork and the deadline to decide is close. I am in Tucson, in case local advice matters. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. How did you decide?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 5 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It saved me later.