Losing employer insurance, where should I look? (update)

My family's coverage ended with the layoff and we have a prescription we cannot skip. I worked as a graphic designer before this. 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.

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.