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

The COBRA quote for my family is $500 a month and I do not know how to afford it. I am in Seattle, in case local advice matters. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Check what the notice says about the election period and when coverage starts. Mine allowed a short window to choose.