Spouse stopped paying COBRA and we lost coverage. What are our options?

I need to stick to the facts here.

We're in the USA.

H and I have both been out of work for about a year. Health insurance was through his work (I was a contractor/freelance).

After he was laid off, we paid for very expensive COBRA coverage for us and our kid, via his former employer.

Unbeknownst to me (he hid this/lied about it), he stopped paying COBRA premiums after February.

His former employer/the insurance company permanently canceled our plan towards the end of April, but canceled it retroactively to February.

I discovered this in May (a week+ ago).

We could appeal, but it would take 30-45 days, it is outrageously expensive anyway– $2500/month for 2 adults + 1 child– and we are highly unlikely to win because we had a way to pay, it just wasn't utilized, by my husband's choice.

We apparently can qualify for Medicaid for our daughter (?), and also for us retroactively for March/April, but maybe not for the adults for May+, as I got a job at the end of April that will pay me/has started paying me $3-4k/month gross. I may be confused, but this may be too much to qualify for May on. Husband has no income, in fact has earned almost nothing in the past year of unemployment (I earned some prior to late April, though not enough). He did earn some money in April that was paid in May ($3k), but has nothing else lined up.

It looks like we can't apply for Obamacare (until Nov 1?) because failing to pay COBRA premiums is not a "qualifying event." And he lost employment more than a year ago.

What can I do?

I've been struggling to wrap my mind around this because I am still reeling from yet another betrayal on his part, having to begin looking into divorce mediation again, and trying to keep my new job.

Thank you so much for any help.

submitted by /u/DecadesLaterKid
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