Photo: Sharon Leonard has struggled to afford medical visits. Sharon Leonard visited the same GP in Launceston’s northern suburbs for about 30 years before her breast cancer diagnosis. About half of Tasmanians face out-of-pocket costs when they see their doctor, meaning a regular GP visit may be out of reach According to the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, this means the state misses out on at least $100 million per year in federal primary health funding Disadvantaged Tasmanians have a life expectancy up to 18 years shorter than their wealthier peers Once treatment concluded, she was horrified to find her follow-up appointments were not always bulk-billed. "I was crying because they wouldn’t listen to me and understand I can’t afford to come all the time," she said. "They said, ‘we can’t do it for everyone’. "It was very hard for me having chemo and being ill for six days […]