My family and I were forced to live without insurance for two years, all because I received a raise of 50 cents an hour.

When I came home after serving in the Army for five years, I worked while my wife worked on her nursing degree. We were caring for our two boys, with a third on the way.

On my original salary, we were eligible for MaineCare. I was performing well in my work, and was given a pay bump of 50 cents an hour. That additional 50 cents made my family ineligible for both MaineCare and food stamps, which we were relying on. That extra $80 a month didn’t even come close to allowing us to afford the $1,000 per month insurance premium. When I went to my employer, I was not allowed to refuse the raise.

For two years, the emergency room became our health care, and we were only there if it were truly an emergency. I was eventually promoted and could afford my company insurance premiums, but I’ve never forgotten that difficult and terrifying time.

Our state leaders need to make affordable health care their top priority, so no one has to go through what my family did.

Jon Farr

Winslow