Thanks, everyone for your feedback!
Lou Lou, should the health insurance situation mirror the one that you went through (ie a small start up with not too many employees and my medical bills could affect the group policy) I guess I'll have no choice but to do COBRA too. I guess this is what really frustrates me about our situation. Here I am with a phenomenal opportunity to be one of the first hires at a start up that could really do well. However with this health insurance issue I am not only required to second guess taking this job, but the possibility that I'll have to pay an extra $500 + per month just so that I can stay healthy is really upsetting (not that this is actually happening, I haven't even gotten hired yet).
Sorry to rant, it's just frustrating. I'm really really trying to stay true to me , ie, making my health # 1 priority, it's just that the thought of great opps. passing me by due to the machine that we call our health care system makes me mad.
I mean, is it legal to really have one person's health issue screw up an entire small company's premiums?