Incurred huge medical bills while waiting for COBRA paperwork, turns out it was too expensive. What can I do?

So, I left my employer with the intention of electing COBRA as I had in the past because it was the cheaper option between that and the marketplace. While waiting for the COBRA election paperwork, my wife and I found out we were pregnant and had a number of appointments: specialist visits, ultrasounds, etc. Since COBRA works retroactively, I figured these appointments would be covered.

Unfortunately, I was never sent the COBRA enrollment paperwork until I called close to the 45-day deadline to find out they had my address marked as undeliverable. I confirmed that what they had on file WAS my correct address and they finally sent it, but the cost ended up being way higher than I was expecting, about 2.5 times what I paid previously.

So, I've just enrolled in marketplace coverage going forward, but what can I do about the bills we incurred in the meantime? We now have 3k+ in uncovered bills, and the marketplace rep I spoke with said there was no way to cover those expenses through them. Am I SOL?

submitted by /u/guy7C1
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