COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? (Detroit)

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a teaching assistant. There are 15 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. My old employer will not help with the premium. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 6 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.