Is COBRA worth it after a layoff?, bookkeeper here

The COBRA quote for my family is $500 a month and I do not know how to afford it. I worked as a bookkeeper before this. I saw that marketplace plans might cost less. Is the decision time really that tight?

A quick call to the plan's member line cleared up two things for us that the letter did not.

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