COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives?

The COBRA quote for my family is $800 a month and I do not know how to afford it. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Did anyone switch mid-year?

A quick call to the plan's member line cleared up two things for us that the letter did not.

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.