Visitors from countries that have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement(RHCA) with Australia are eligible for Medicare - Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom. Important thing to remember is that even if you are eligible for Medicare your treatment has to be classed as medically necessary. For more info about what Medicare covers if you are eligible see http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/reciprocal-health-care-agreements
So the benefits of having health insurance are:
* choice of doctor and cover for private practice GP visits
* where you receive treatment and at a time that convenient to you
* ambulance cover which is not covered by Medicare and this can be very expensive depending on the state you are planning to reside in.
* Extras cover is important for cover for things that Medicare doesnt cover like dentist, physio, chiro etc
There are a few good providers including Bupa, Medibank, Iman, Ahm etc