COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? (Buffalo)

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as an administrative assistant. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Is the decision time really that tight?

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.