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 store manager. Any experience at all would help. My old employer will not help with the premium. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Check what the notice says about the election period and when coverage starts. Mine allowed a short window to choose.

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