COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives?

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a social media manager. There are 5 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. 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 2 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.