Health coverage after losing my job: marketplace or Medicaid? - what worked for you?

My family's coverage ended with the layoff and we have a prescription we cannot skip. I have been trying to stay organised about it. The COBRA notice arrived with a very high price. How fast did coverage start?

Losing job-based coverage usually opens a special enrolment window, so check the deadline on the official marketplace site. I missed it by a day once and regretted it.