COBRA quote is huge, any alternatives? - what worked for you?

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a pharmacy technician. I do not usually post, so bear with me. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. 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.