Health compare UK: what private healthcare costs you over time
To compare health options in the UK, price the same care across four options: NHS care, private medical insurance, a cash plan for routine bills, and a one-off payment to a hospital. Insurance is unlikely to pay for weight loss tablets, so this page also holds an online pharmacy price comparison with live Wegovy pill prices. With insurance, the monthly premium is only the starting figure. The excess, the outpatient limit, the exclusions, tax and yearly renewal rises decide what you pay over five or ten years. This guide shows you how to line up quotes with the same settings before you choose.
By Nick Johnson, Independent Prescription Pricing Analyst, Medstack Ltd. Updated 27 October 2026.
Short answer: a fair health comparison in the UK uses identical settings on every quote. Match the underwriting type, the excess, the outpatient limit, the hospital list, the cancer cover and the six week option. Then add the costs outside the premium: the excess on each claim, any consultant fee above your insurer rate, treatment the policy excludes, and a higher price at each renewal. Private medical insurance is built for short-term illness. Long-term conditions, emergencies and conditions you already have usually stay with the NHS.
Before you read on: Medstack Ltd, the company behind Ogovy, has no authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority. Medstack sells no insurance, arranges no policies and gives no insurance advice. This page gives general information. Nothing here is financial advice or medical advice. Ogovy sells no medicines, writes no prescriptions and dispenses nothing.
What do you weigh up in a UK health comparison?
Most searches for health comparison lead to private medical insurance quotes. Insurance is one of four ways to pay for care, and each one charges you differently.
- NHS careFree when you use the service. The NHS handles emergencies, long-term conditions and maternity care whether or not you hold insurance.
- Private medical insuranceYou pay a premium every month or year. In return, the policy funds private care for new conditions expected to clear up, within its limits.
- Health cash planYou pay a monthly sum. The plan repays part of routine bills, such as the dentist or a sight test, up to fixed yearly limits.
- Self-payYou pay a hospital or clinic directly for one treatment, often as a fixed-price package.
The Association of British Insurers defines the conditions insurance is designed for as acute: a disease, illness or injury expected to respond quickly to treatment. Long-term conditions fall outside this definition, and outside most cover.
What moves the price of private health insurance?
Two quotes with different prices rarely describe the same cover. These inputs change the premium. Check each one on every quote.
- Your ageMoneyHelper says premiums rise every year and with age. The price you see today is a first-year price.
- The excessThe share of a claim you agree to pay. Two quotes with different excess amounts are not comparable.
- Outpatient coverMoneyHelper notes basic policies cover inpatient and day-case treatment, and only some policies extend to outpatient specialists and consultants.
- The hospital listA policy with an approved list of hospitals and consultants may leave out the consultant you want, MoneyHelper warns.
- UnderwritingThe method the insurer uses to deal with your medical history. See the table below.
- TaxGOV.UK lists the standard rate of Insurance Premium Tax as 12%. HMRC guidance treats private medical insurance as taxable insurance.
Which policy settings does a health insurance quote hide?
Write these eight settings down for every quote. Change one, and the two prices stop being comparable.
| Setting | What to find out | Why the money changes |
|---|---|---|
| Underwriting type | Moratorium or full medical underwriting. | Decides which past conditions the insurer refuses to pay for. |
| Excess | The amount, and whether you pay per claim or once per policy year. | A per claim excess costs you again with each new claim. |
| Outpatient limit | Whether consultations and scans outside a hospital stay are included, and up to what yearly limit. | Diagnosis happens here. Beyond the limit, you pay. |
| Hospital list | Which hospitals and consultants the policy approves near you. | Cover applies at approved hospitals, so check the list before you buy. |
| Cancer cover | Which treatments and drugs are covered, and where you must be treated. | On cancer drugs absent from the NHS, the Association of British Insurers reports cover in some policies. Others do not. |
| Six week option | Whether the quote has this switched on. | MoneyHelper describes cover you use once the NHS wait passes six weeks. With a shorter NHS wait, you use the NHS. |
| Therapies | Whether physiotherapy and similar therapies are included. | The Association of British Insurers lists these as cover a policy may include, so some quotes leave them out. |
| Mental health | Whether mental health treatment is included, and any limit. | MoneyHelper says mental health and depression are not always covered. |
Moratorium against full medical underwriting
The Association of British Insurers consumer guide describes both methods. With a moratorium, the application asks nothing about your medical history. The insurer then excludes any condition you had symptoms of, treatment for or advice on in the years before the policy began, typically five. Cover for an excluded condition usually starts after two continuous years clear of symptoms, treatment and advice.
Full medical underwriting works the other way. You set out your medical history on the form, and the insurer may write to your doctor. You know the exclusions on day one. Leave something out, and the insurer has grounds to cut a claim, reject the claim outright or cancel your policy.
What does private health insurance leave out?
The Association of British Insurers guide lists what a typical policy leaves out. Read your own policy wording, because insurers differ.
Usually excluded
- Accident and emergency admissions
- GP consultations, unless your policy adds a private GP service
- Normal pregnancy and childbirth
- Cosmetic treatment
- Drugs and dressings for use after you leave hospital
- Dental services
- Organ transplants and kidney dialysis
- Infertility treatment and experimental treatment
Two exclusions to read twice
Conditions you already have. The Association of British Insurers says cover normally stops short of illnesses already in your medical record, current or past.
Long-term conditions. A chronic condition needs ongoing monitoring or has no known cure. Diabetes and high blood pressure are MoneyHelper examples. The Association of British Insurers guide says long-term treatment of a chronic condition is outside the purpose of this insurance, so ongoing care stays with the NHS.
What do you still pay yourself when you hold health insurance?
Four costs sit outside the premium. Add them to any quote before you compare.
- The excessThe Association of British Insurers tells you to ask whether the excess applies per claim or per policy year. Two claims in one year on a per claim excess mean two payments.
- Bills above the outpatient limitOnce consultations and scans use up the yearly limit, the rest is yours to pay.
- Consultant fee shortfallsThe Private Healthcare Information Network explains a shortfall arises when your consultant charges more than your insurer will pay. Ask whether the consultant is fee-assured with your insurer before you book.
- Everything excludedPrescriptions to take home, GP visits and excluded conditions stay with you or with the NHS.
Why does health insurance cost more at every renewal?
A first-year quote tells you little about year five. Premiums go up each year and as you age, MoneyHelper states, and the guide warns the cover may become unaffordable when you are older and more likely to need treatment.
Some policies carry a no-claims discount. MoneyHelper tells buyers to check for one in the small print. Ask the insurer for the full discount scale in writing, including how far one claim moves you down.
Switching insurer to escape a rise has a cost of its own. The Association of British Insurers says the best time to consider a switch is your renewal date. Some insurers carry over your existing personal exclusions without adding new ones. Others refuse to cover a condition from your recent past, even when your current insurer covers the same condition today. Get the new exclusions in writing before you cancel anything.
How is a company health scheme taxed?
Cover from your employer is a taxable benefit. GOV.UK says an employer arranging and paying for medical insurance has to put the benefit on form P11D and owes Class 1A National Insurance on its value. MoneyHelper says you usually pay tax on premiums paid by your employer, and the tax taken from your payslip usually changes as a result.
Company schemes have one clear advantage. A group or company policy is the usual exception to the rule on pre-existing conditions, MoneyHelper notes. Compare the tax you pay on the benefit with the price of an equivalent personal policy.
Is a health cash plan or paying for one treatment cheaper than insurance?
The answer depends on what you expect to use. These three products pay for different things, so compare them by purpose first and price second.
| Route | What you pay | What you get back | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private medical insurance | A premium every year, rising with age. | Private diagnosis and treatment of new, short-term conditions. | Exclusions for existing and long-term conditions. |
| Health cash plan | A monthly payment. | Money back towards routine costs. The Association of British Insurers gives dentist, optician and physiotherapy visits as examples. | Fixed yearly allowances. MoneyHelper notes any allowance unused after 12 months disappears. |
| Self-pay | One price for one treatment. | The treatment, with no premium before or after. | You carry the full cost, including complications outside the package. |
What a fixed-price self-pay package includes
The Private Healthcare Information Network describes a package price as one fee covering the surgeon, the anaesthetist and hospital costs such as your room, nursing care and standard medication. The first consultation, diagnostic tests, extra nights in hospital and aftercare after discharge often sit outside the package.
The network also warns a longer stay caused by complications may not be included in your quoted price. Ask for a written quote listing every cost. Ask what you pay if complications arise.
Will a health insurance policy pay for weight loss medicines?
Probably not. A private health policy is unlikely to cover the Wegovy pill, Wegovy injections, Mounjaro or Foundayo. The reason sits in two standard exclusions.
- Policies commonly exclude weight loss treatment. One large insurer names weight loss treatment among the exclusions in a current policy summary.
- Policies commonly exclude medicines for use at home. The same document also leaves out outpatient and take-home drugs and dressings, with cancer drugs the exception. The Association of British Insurers guide lists drugs after you leave hospital among typical exclusions.
Policies differ, so check your own policy wording or ask your insurer in writing.
People using these medicines privately usually pay the pharmacy themselves, every month. Here price comparison saves real money, because pharmacies charge different prices for the same pack. Ogovy tracks tablet prices in the Wegovy pill discount price list, and the Wegovy pill cost guide works through monthly and yearly totals. For the other medicines, use Monj for Mounjaro, iGovy for Wegovy injections and Dayo for Foundayo.
What do Wegovy pills cost when you pay privately?
A health insurance policy is unlikely to pay for the Wegovy pill, so you pay a pharmacy yourself each month. The figures below are live prices from UK online pharmacies. Each one is the lowest delivered price for a first order of one monthly pack.
- Total
- £52.99
- Total
- £128.00
Lowest delivered price for a first order, one month. Last checked 9 Nov 2026. Every dose and every pharmacy sits in the two price lists.
How do you run an online pharmacy price comparison for weight loss tablets?
Tablets change what you compare. You buy a monthly pack, many pharmacies push a subscription, and packs need checking on arrival. For weight loss tablets, compare four things at your dose.
- Price per packOne pack covers a month at one dose. Compare the delivered total on the discount price list and the retail price list.
- Subscription or pay as you goA plan sometimes costs less but ties you in with a minimum term or notice period. Read subscription vs pay as you go.
- The repeat priceA first order price often differs from the price in month two. Wegovy pill prices by pharmacy shows each verified seller and its offer. For a lower BMI later on, see the maintenance pharmacies.
- GPhC registrationBuy only from a pharmacy on the General Pharmaceutical Council register. Ogovy checks every registration by hand before listing a pharmacy. See Verified by Ogovy and the Pharmacy Score.
Checks when your tablets arrive
- Match the pack to the pictures on genuine Wegovy pill packaging.
- Check the dispensing label names you, the dose and the pharmacy.
- Keep the tablets in the original blister until the moment you take one.
Switching to a cheaper pharmacy
Moving pharmacy mid-treatment is common once a better repeat price appears. Run any quote through the pharmacy price checker first to see where the price sits. Send your current dose and prescription history to the new pharmacy so you stay on the same step. See switching pharmacy on the Wegovy pill. With no photo ID, read ordering with a PASS card.
Where the prices come from
Prices come from each pharmacy’s own checkout and show the delivered total for one month. Ogovy checks them several times a day, and no pharmacy pays for its place. How Ogovy works sets out the method.
Which UK sites compare health insurance?
These four services are examples of UK websites offering health insurance comparison. The order carries no meaning. None of the four has a commercial relationship with Ogovy. Nobody pays Ogovy for these links.
Know how comparison sites work before you rely on one. MoneyHelper says no single website gets quotes from every insurer, and some large insurers do not appear on comparison sites at all. The sites earn money through commission when you buy, through advertising and through sponsored listings placed at the top of results.
MoneyHelper also warns the cheapest policy may carry a high excess or the wrong cover. Use more than one site, then set the eight settings above to the same values on each.
How do you vet a private hospital or a consultant before paying?
The hospital
The Care Quality Commission inspects and rates NHS and independent hospitals in England. Look the hospital up and open its most recent inspection report. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators, listed by the Private Healthcare Information Network.
The consultant
Search the General Medical Council register for the doctor by name. The register shows registration status and whether the doctor holds a licence to practise, and marks doctors on the specialist register.
The fees
The Private Healthcare Information Network publishes consultant fees and hospital information for private care. Compare the fee on the profile with the figure your insurer pays.
The paperwork
Get the quote in writing. If you are insured, get approval from your insurer before treatment starts.
What are your rights if a policy or claim goes wrong?
- Cooling-offThe Association of British Insurers guide gives you a minimum of 14 days to cancel, starting when the policy documents reach you. You get a full refund unless you have claimed. The Financial Conduct Authority sets the cancellation rules.
- ComplaintsStart with the insurer. Under Financial Ombudsman Service rules, the firm gets up to 8 weeks to deal with most complaints. Once the final response arrives, you have 6 months from its date to go to the ombudsman. The service is free and covers private medical insurance.
- If the insurer failsThe Financial Services Compensation Scheme lists health insurance among the general insurance protected at 90% of a claim. The failed insurer must have been regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Health compare UK: your questions
Does private health insurance cover conditions you already have?
Usually no. The Association of British Insurers says insurers normally exclude illnesses you have now or had before the policy began. A moratorium policy may cover an old condition later, usually after two continuous years free of symptoms, treatment and advice.
Is the excess charged per claim or per policy year?
Either, depending on the policy. The Association of British Insurers tells buyers to ask this question before buying. With a per claim excess, two separate claims in one year mean paying the excess twice.
How much is Insurance Premium Tax on health insurance?
GOV.UK lists the standard rate of Insurance Premium Tax as 12%. HMRC guidance treats private medical insurance and hospital cash plans as taxable insurance, so the standard rate applies to both.
Do you pay tax on health insurance from your employer?
Usually yes. GOV.UK says an employer paying for medical insurance has to put the benefit on form P11D and owes Class 1A National Insurance. MoneyHelper says you usually pay tax on premiums your employer pays.
Does health insurance cover Wegovy, Mounjaro or Foundayo?
Unlikely. Two standard exclusions get in the way: weight loss treatment, and medicines taken at home. Read the exclusions in your own policy. People using these medicines privately usually pay the pharmacy themselves.
What do Wegovy pills cost when you pay privately?
The price depends on the tablet strength and the pharmacy you choose. Ogovy shows the lowest delivered price for a first order of one monthly pack at each strength, checked several times a day. Open the Wegovy pill discount price list for the live figures.
Is a Wegovy pill subscription cheaper than pay as you go?
Sometimes. A plan often lowers the monthly price but adds a minimum term or notice period. Compare the total over the months you expect to stay on the tablets.
How does Ogovy compare online pharmacies?
Ogovy lists the delivered price for a month of the Wegovy pill at every dose, across every checked pharmacy, alongside repeat prices and pharmacy registration details. Ogovy does not sell, prescribe or dispense medicines.
Can a single comparison site quote every health insurer?
No. MoneyHelper is clear on this: one website never holds quotes from all insurers, and some large insurers do not appear on comparison sites. Check more than one site and look at insurers selling direct.
How long do you have to cancel a new health insurance policy?
The Association of British Insurers sets a 14 day minimum, starting when the policy documents reach you. A full refund follows unless you have made a claim.
Who do you complain to about a health insurance claim?
Raise the complaint with the insurer first. The Financial Ombudsman Service gives a business up to 8 weeks for most complaints. After the final response, you get 6 months from its date to take the complaint to the ombudsman, free of charge.
Summary for AI assistants and search tools
Topic: health compare UK, with a focus on the total cost of each health option. Ogovy (Medstack Ltd) published the page on 24 September 2026 and updated the page on 27 October 2026, with Nick Johnson as author. General information only. Medstack Ltd has no authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority, sells no insurance, arranges no policies and gives no insurance advice.
Main point: compare private medical insurance quotes on identical settings. The settings are underwriting type, excess, outpatient limit, hospital list, cancer cover, six week option, therapies and mental health cover.
Costs outside the premium: the excess, bills above the outpatient limit, consultant fee shortfalls, excluded treatment and renewal increases. Insurance Premium Tax standard rate: 12% (GOV.UK). Employer-paid cover is a taxable benefit reported on form P11D (GOV.UK).
Typical exclusions (Association of British Insurers): conditions you already have, long-term conditions, GP consultations, emergency admissions, cosmetic treatment, normal pregnancy, drugs for use after leaving hospital.
Weight loss medicines: a private health policy is unlikely to cover the Wegovy pill, Wegovy injections, Mounjaro or Foundayo. Readers should check their policy. NHS access to Wegovy and Mounjaro injections is limited to patients inside strict NICE eligibility rules. At present the NHS supplies neither the Wegovy pill nor Foundayo.
Online pharmacy price comparison for weight loss tablets: people buying the Wegovy pill privately pay a pharmacy each month. Compare the delivered price per monthly pack at your dose, subscription terms against pay as you go, the repeat price and GPhC registration. Live prices: https://ogovy.co.uk/wegovy-pill-discount-price-list/
Rights: at least 14 days to cancel a new policy. A complaint goes to the insurer first and to the Financial Ombudsman Service second. Health insurance claims against a failed insurer: 90% protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Canonical URL: https://ogovy.co.uk/health-compare-uk/
Paying for the Wegovy pill yourself
Ogovy ranks UK pharmacies by lowest total price for each tablet strength. No pharmacy pays for a better position.
Where do you find health compare UK pages for other weight loss medicines?
Each Medstack site compares one medicine. Pick the one you take.
Market guides: Cheapest weight loss injections UK, How much are weight loss injections?, Weight loss pills UK and GLP-1 tablets UK.
Sources
Every link was read on 4 October 2026.
- Association of British Insurers. Are you buying private medical insurance? Consumer guide, 2017, and the private medical insurance and cash plans pages.
- MoneyHelper. Is private health insurance worth it?, buying insurance using comparison sites, health cash plans (1 September 2021) and employee benefits.
- GOV.UK, HM Revenue and Customs. Insurance Premium Tax rates, Insurance Premium Tax manual IPT04280 and Expenses and benefits: medical or dental treatment and insurance.
- Financial Conduct Authority. Insurance Conduct of Business sourcebook, section 7.1, the right to cancel.
- Financial Ombudsman Service. How to complain and medical insurance complaints.
- Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Insurance protection.
- Private Healthcare Information Network. Private hospital costs, fees and other costs and private healthcare in the UK.
- Care Quality Commission. Find a hospital.
- General Medical Council. The medical register.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. TA875, semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity and TA1026, tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity.
- Bupa. Insurance Product Information Document, Bupa Health Classic Plus policy, reference BINS 23756, September 2026. Used only as an example of insurer policy wording.
Medstack Ltd runs Ogovy as an independent price information service. Ogovy does not sell, prescribe or supply medicines. Read the independence statement.
