Health coverage after losing my job: marketplace or Medicaid? - 12 months and counting

I have 17 weeks left on my current insurance and I am comparing options. I have been trying to stay organised about it. The COBRA notice arrived with a very high price. How fast did coverage start?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.