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 payroll clerk. There are 16 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. My old employer will not help with the premium. How did you decide?

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It made the follow-up calls so much easier.

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.