Laid off as the sole provider, wife is 5 months pregnant – could use health insurance advice

Hello everyone!

Well, the tech layoffs finally hit home last week. I was making a great salary in a non-engineering role at a streaming platform. Needless to say, I am absolutely devastated, depressed, and worried as I am the sole provider for my household.

I am doing everything I need to find a job – though in this market it will be tough and pay cut is in my future. I do have savings I can tap into should it take longer to find a job.

However, my biggest worry is that my wife is currently pregnant with our second child, and will be due at the end of August. I am still on payroll until early June (though I am not required to work), after which I will get a 1 month severance package. My benefits will end on June 30th.

My question is, what are my options for health coverage in California should I not find another job by then? I know COBRA is an option, but will be extremely expensive. I’d like for her to keep her same doctor/network, as her first pregnancy had some complications.

I will apply for unemployment once I receive my severance and my employment is officially terminated, so I think I will be eligible for Medi-Cal? Would I be able to go to the Covered CA marketplace and purchase a plan that might allow her to stay in the same network instead? Or, should I bite the bullet, pay for the COBRA for a couple of months and use the birth of the child as a qualifying event to drop COBRA and purchase through the marketplace/MediCal?

Would love any and all insight! Thank you so much.