Is COBRA worth it after a layoff? (St. Louis)

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a call-centre agent. I worked as a call-centre agent before this. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 8 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.