Can a short-term gap in coverage influence my ability to be covered for future services related to a pre-existing condition?

Hello, I am divorced as of mid-April . My ex-husband told me he had talked to his employer, and I would be able to stay on his health insurance until I got on my feet. This turned out to be a mistake, and I lost healthcare coverage on April 22nd and didn’t find out about it until May.

I have enrolled in health insurance that starts on June 1st through heathcare.gov.

I have a genetic, pre-existing condition and will likely need heart surgery in the next decade. I just found an option to enroll in COBRA that will cover me retroactively from April through May, but it’s about $600, and there is no way I can afford it right now.

If I don’t enroll in COBRA, will I face potential denials from future health-care providers if I continue with my ACA plan or when I am able to nail down a full-time job that provides benefits? Is this an issue serious enough for me to take out loans from family to cover?

Thanks so much for your help… I’ve been searching for an answer and having trouble coming up on anything clear.