COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? (update)

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a production planner. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. How did you decide?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 4 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

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.