[keyserj]

I've also had the opposite experience. My workplace plan through COBRA was around $500/mo, while only the highest-end marketplace plans were around that range. I took a middle-end plan at ~$300/mo.

To be fair I hadn't looked closely at what all my workplace plan covered, but I was doing physical therapy when I switched that wasn't covered (had to reach high deductible) on my workplace plan and was covered on my marketplace plan!

(I'm in Illinois)