Health coverage after losing my job: marketplace or Medicaid? (Raleigh)

My employer coverage ended at the end of the month and I am trying to work out what to do as a security officer. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. The COBRA notice arrived with a very high price. How fast did coverage start?

A free navigator at a community health centre walked me through my options. It took an hour and saved me a lot of guessing.