COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? (Tampa)

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a web developer. I do not usually post, so bear with me. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 10 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

If you have a planned treatment, COBRA can make sense for a few months. Otherwise look at the marketplace first.