iGovy / Health compare UK
Health compare UK: what health insurance leaves out, and how iGovy checks Wegovy pharmacies
To compare health cover in the UK, read the exclusions before the price. Private medical insurance pays for short-term treatment of new conditions. Most policies leave out conditions you already have, long-term illness, emergencies, GP appointments, normal pregnancy and cosmetic surgery. A policy is unlikely to pay for weight loss medicines, so this page also explains how iGovy checks pharmacies and links to the live Wegovy pharmacy comparison. Two policies with the same monthly premium pay different amounts when you claim. This guide lists each exclusion, gives the reason, and follows one claim from GP referral to final bill.
By Nick Johnson, Independent Prescription Pricing Analyst. Updated 5 October 2026.
Read this first. Medstack Ltd runs iGovy and holds no authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority. iGovy gives no insurance advice and does not sell or arrange policies. Treat this page as general information, not financial or medical advice. iGovy never sells, prescribes or dispenses medicines.
How do you compare health insurance in the UK?
Compare six things in this order: the underwriting type, the exclusions list, the outpatient limit, the hospital list, the excess and the premium. Price comes last because a cheap policy often removes outpatient cover or narrows the hospital list. Ask each insurer for the policy document and the Insurance Product Information Document before you pay.
Private medical insurance is optional in the UK. NHS care stays free at the point of use whether or not you hold a policy. MoneyHelper describes private cover as a way to skip NHS waiting lists for planned treatment, with a choice of hospital and consultant.
What does private health insurance cover?
Policies pay for acute conditions. The Association of British Insurers defines an acute condition as an illness or injury where treatment is expected to work quickly and return you to your previous state of health. A chronic condition needs long-term monitoring, has no known cure or is likely to come back.
Core cover normally includes hospital admission, surgery, consultant fees, nursing care and diagnostic tests such as MRI and CT scans. Outpatient consultations, mental health treatment, physiotherapy and complementary therapies are optional on many policies.
What does private health insurance exclude, and why?
The table lists exclusions named by UK consumer bodies and in an insurer policy document. Your own policy wording decides what applies to you.
| Excluded | What the exclusion means | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions you already have | Illness or injury with symptoms, advice or treatment before the policy started. | Insurance prices the risk of new illness. A known condition is a known cost. | Association of British Insurers, MoneyHelper |
| Chronic conditions | Long-term illness such as diabetes, epilepsy or high blood pressure. Ongoing monitoring and management stay with the NHS. | Cover is built for short-term treatment with an end point. Some policies pay for an unexpected flare-up only. | Association of British Insurers, MoneyHelper |
| Accident and emergency | Emergency admissions to hospital. | The NHS provides emergency care. Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency. | ABI buying guide, page 12, NHS |
| GP appointments | Consultations with a GP, unless your policy adds a GP service. | Standard cover begins at the specialist referral. Some policies include a digital GP service. | ABI buying guide, page 12, Bupa product information document |
| Normal pregnancy and childbirth | Routine maternity care. | Pregnancy is a planned event, and the policy covers unexpected illness. | ABI buying guide, page 12, MoneyHelper |
| Cosmetic treatment | Surgery to change your appearance. | The treatment is a choice, with no acute illness to treat. | MoneyHelper |
| Prescription medicines after discharge | Drugs and dressings once you leave hospital, or as an outpatient. Cancer drugs are the usual exception. | Routine prescriptions are a predictable running cost. | ABI buying guide, page 12, Bupa product information document |
| Dental care | Routine dental services. | Dental cover is sold as a separate product or add-on. | ABI buying guide, page 12 |
| Organ transplants | Transplant surgery. | Named as a standard exclusion. | MoneyHelper |
| Fertility treatment | Infertility investigation and treatment. | Named as a standard exclusion. | ABI buying guide, page 12 |
| Weight loss treatment | Treatment of or relating to weight loss, in the insurer document checked for this page. | The document lists the exclusion with no reason given. | Bupa product information document |
| Dangerous sports and war | Injuries from hazardous sports or war-like hostilities. | The risk sits outside normal pricing. | MoneyHelper |
Sources checked 4 October 2026. The insurer document is one example and other insurers word exclusions differently.
How do pre-existing conditions and underwriting work?
Underwriting is the method the insurer uses to decide which past conditions to exclude. The Association of British Insurers describes two main types for personal policies.
Moratorium underwriting
The application asks no health questions. The policy excludes any condition where you had symptoms, advice, medication or treatment in a set period before the start date, typically five years. The insurer checks your records when you claim, so a refusal can arrive at the moment you need treatment.
Full medical underwriting
You answer health questions at the start. The insurer may contact your doctor with your consent. Exclusions appear on your certificate, so you know where you stand from day one. Conditions related to a declared illness may also be excluded.
Answer the health questions accurately
MoneyHelper warns of a rejected claim where you answered inaccurately or left something out. The Financial Ombudsman Service checks whether you took reasonable care with your answers when a dispute reaches the ombudsman.
Switching insurer
A new insurer may treat conditions from your time with the old insurer as pre-existing. The ABI buying guide says some insurers keep your current personal exclusions and others exclude recent illness. Ask for the switch terms in writing before you cancel the old policy. MoneyHelper adds a warning: your risk level rises with age, so matching your current cover elsewhere gets harder.
Company policies
Group schemes often need no medical declaration because the insurer prices the whole workforce. Ask whether the cover continues after you leave the employer.
Which limits reduce what a health insurance policy pays?
Check these eight terms in every quote.
The excess
You agree to pay a set amount towards a claim. A higher excess lowers the premium. Ask whether the excess applies to each claim or once in each policy year, and whether each person on a family policy pays separately.
Source: Association of British Insurers
Outpatient limits
Basic policies pay for inpatient and day-case treatment. Consultations, scans and tests before admission are outpatient care. Cheaper policies cap or remove outpatient cover, so you pay for the diagnosis and the insurer pays for the operation.
Source: MoneyHelper, Aviva
Hospital lists
Your policy names the hospitals you can use. Some insurers keep a separate list for Greater London. The insurer may refuse to pay for treatment at a hospital outside your list.
Source: Aviva, Bupa product information document
Guided consultant options
Some insurers sell a guided option, where the insurer gives you a short list of consultants. Check how the option changes your choice of specialist before you accept the lower price.
Source: Aviva
Consultant fee shortfalls
Insurers set a fee schedule for each procedure. A consultant charging above the schedule can bill you for the difference. Ask the insurer whether your consultant is recognised and fee-assured before you book.
Source: Bupa product information document, Financial Ombudsman Service
The six week option
A cheaper policy where the insurer pays for inpatient and day-patient treatment only when the NHS wait is longer than six weeks. A shorter NHS wait means NHS treatment.
Source: MoneyHelper, Aviva
Cancer cover
Cancer cover differs between policies. Some policies include drugs the NHS does not fund. Others limit cancer drug treatment. Ask for the cancer section in writing.
Source: Association of British Insurers
Mental health
Mental health treatment is often an optional extra with separate limits. Check the limits on inpatient stays and therapy sessions.
How does a private health insurance claim work?
Take a worked example. You have knee pain which started after your policy began. Each step shows who pays.
See a GP
Private treatment usually starts with a GP referral to a specialist. Your NHS GP can write the referral. A private GP appointment is an extra cost unless your policy includes a GP service.
Who pays You pay for any private GP visit
Source: Association of British Insurers
Call the insurer before you book
Give the insurer the referral details and ask for authorisation. The insurer checks the condition against your exclusions. Under moratorium underwriting, expect a request for your medical records at this point.
Who pays Nothing yet
Source: Association of British Insurers, Financial Ombudsman Service
Pick a hospital and consultant the insurer recognises
Use a hospital on your list. Ask whether the consultant charges within the insurer fee schedule. Get the authorisation number in writing.
Who pays Nothing yet
Have the consultation and tests
Scans and consultations count against your outpatient limit. Once you reach the limit, further outpatient bills are yours.
Who pays Insurer up to your outpatient limit, then you
Source: MoneyHelper
Have the treatment
Stay in touch with the insurer at each stage. A change of procedure or a longer stay needs fresh authorisation.
Who pays Insurer, within policy limits
Source: Association of British Insurers
Settle the excess and any shortfall
You pay the excess. You also pay any consultant or anaesthetist fee above the insurer schedule, and any item the policy excludes, such as medicines to take home.
Who pays You
Follow-up care
Cover ends when the condition is treated or becomes long-term. Where a condition turns chronic, the insurer must explain the decision with medical evidence, and ongoing care moves to the NHS.
Who pays NHS for long-term care
Source: Financial Ombudsman Service
Where claims go wrong
- You book treatment before the insurer authorises the claim.
- Your GP notes show knee symptoms before the start date, so the moratorium applies.
- The consultant charges above the insurer schedule.
- The hospital sits outside your list.
Why do health insurance premiums rise?
MoneyHelper states plainly: premiums rise every year, and with age. Cover can become unaffordable at the age you are most likely to claim.
Some insurers run a no claim discount. Aviva sells a protected no claim discount as an add-on. Where a policy has a no claim discount, a claim can reduce the discount at renewal. Ask the insurer how one claim changes your renewal price.
Insurance Premium Tax is part of the price. GOV.UK gives the standard rate as 12% for general insurance. Insurers include the tax in the premium.
Is company health insurance a taxable benefit?
Yes in most cases. When an employer arranges and pays for medical insurance, GOV.UK says the employer must declare the cover on a P11D form and pay Class 1A National Insurance on the cost. The value counts as a benefit in kind, so you normally pay Income Tax on the premium your employer pays. Check your tax code after you join a scheme.
What are your rights when you buy, cancel or complain?
Cooling off
The FCA Handbook gives you 14 days to cancel a general insurance policy. The period starts on the day the contract begins or the day you receive the terms, whichever is later.
Complaints
Start with a written complaint to the insurer. The Financial Ombudsman Service allows a business up to 8 weeks to reply. After the final response, a 6 month window opens for taking the complaint to the ombudsman, at no cost to you.
Insurer failure
FSCS protects health insurance claims at 90% when an authorised insurer fails.
Which comparison sites compare health insurance in the UK?
MoneyHelper makes three points about insurance comparison sites. No single site shows every insurer. The sites earn commission when you click through or buy, and some sell sponsored placements. A comparison gives information, with no advice on whether a policy suits you.
The four sites below are examples of UK services offering health insurance quotes, listed in no order:
iGovy has no commercial relationship with these companies and receives no payment for the links. Run the same details through more than one site, then read the policy documents from the insurer.
How can you check a private hospital or a consultant before treatment?
- The Care Quality Commission regulates health and adult social care providers in England, private hospitals included. Look up the hospital on the CQC site and read the most recent inspection rating. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate regulators.
- The Private Healthcare Information Network is a government-mandated, not-for-profit body. PHIN publishes information on the safety, quality and costs of private hospitals and consultants, including fees.
- Search the GMC medical register to confirm a doctor holds registration with a licence to practise and appears on the specialist register for the right specialty.
Will a health insurance policy pay for Wegovy, Mounjaro or weight loss pills?
A private health insurance policy is unlikely to cover the cost of Wegovy, Mounjaro, the Wegovy pill or Foundayo. Check your policy wording before you assume cover.
Two standard exclusions apply. Insurer documents commonly exclude weight loss treatment as a category. The Bupa product information document checked for this page names weight loss among the conditions with no cover. The same document removes cover for outpatient and take-home drugs, with cancer drugs as the exception, and the ABI buying guide lists prescription drugs after leaving hospital or as an outpatient as normally not covered. A weekly pen or a daily tablet you take at home falls into both groups.
The NHS position differs by medicine. The NHS supplies Wegovy and Mounjaro injections only to people meeting strict criteria. NICE TA875 recommends semaglutide within a specialist weight management service where an adult has a BMI of 35 or above plus one or more weight-related conditions, with a lower threshold in limited cases. NICE TA1026 covers tirzepatide, and NHS England is phasing access, starting with people who have the highest clinical need. Neither the Wegovy pill nor Foundayo is available on the NHS at present. NICE lists the orforglipron appraisal as in progress.
Most people who use these medicines privately pay a pharmacy themselves, and prices differ between pharmacies for the same pen. Compare before you order:
- Wegovy price comparison UK, the live iGovy table for the Wegovy injection
- Monj for Mounjaro prices
- Ogovy for the Wegovy pill
- Dayo for Foundayo
The Wegovy cost guide sets out the cost per pen and per year, and buy Wegovy online explains how a pharmacy order works. Every pharmacy in iGovy tables passes GPhC verification.
What does Wegovy cost when you pay privately?
- Total
- £44.00
- Total
- £44.00
- Total
- £103.95
Lowest delivered price for a first order, one month. Last checked 9 Nov 2026.
The full table lists every dose and every checked pharmacy. You pay the repeat price for most of the year, so read the Wegovy price list UK for prices from month two. How much are weight loss injections? compares Wegovy with the other medicines.
How does iGovy check Wegovy pharmacies?
To compare Wegovy pharmacies, check five things: the delivered price at your dose, the price from month two, whether the pharmacy keeps prescribing at a lower BMI, how fast pens arrive and whether the pharmacy is on the GPhC register. iGovy shows all five and does not sell medicines.
A Wegovy pharmacy comparison needs more than the headline price. iGovy lines up the delivered price for every dose, the repeat price, delivery speed, maintenance rules and the registration of each pharmacy. iGovy is independent and no pharmacy pays for its place.
What to compare between Wegovy pharmacies
| Check | Reason | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered price | The real cost at your dose, fees included | Live Wegovy price table |
| Repeat price | You pay the repeat price for most of the year | Wegovy price list UK |
| Price match | Some pharmacies match a lower price | Price match |
| Delivery speed | Late pens mean missed weekly doses | Pharmacy delivery speed |
| Maintenance rules | Some pharmacies stop at a lower BMI | Maintenance pharmacies |
| BMI rules to start | Each pharmacy sets its own entry point | BMI requirements |
| Registration and inspection | Proof the pharmacy is legal and checked | Pharmacy Score |
Where the prices and pharmacy checks come from
Prices come from the checkout of each pharmacy and show the delivered total for one month. iGovy checks delivered prices several times a day. Pharmacy registrations are checked by hand before listing. Some pharmacy links earn a referral fee, and fees never change the order of the table. The full method is on how iGovy checks prices and the editorial policy. The live gap between the cheapest and dearest pharmacy at each dose appears in the guide to comparing online pharmacy prices.
Red flags when you compare
- A price far below every other pharmacy in the table.
- No health questions and no weight check before payment.
- No GPhC number, or a number for a different business. Search the GPhC register to confirm.
- Payment by bank transfer or cryptocurrency only.
The guide on how to spot a fake online pharmacy covers each check.
Privacy and your GP
Online pharmacies ask for consent to contact your GP, and most prescribers expect to share the prescription. Read do pharmacies inform my GP before you order, and medication privacy advice for delivery and packaging.
Health compare UK: common questions
What does health compare UK mean?
Most people who search the phrase want to compare private health insurance. A comparison site shows prices side by side. The policy documents show what each insurer excludes. Read both before you buy.
Are pre-existing conditions covered by private health insurance?
Usually no. Under moratorium underwriting, the insurer excludes conditions you had in the years before the policy started, often the last five. With full medical underwriting, you declare your health history first and your certificate shows each exclusion.
Does private health insurance cover accident and emergency?
No. Accident and emergency admissions sit on the standard exclusion list. In an emergency, call 999 or go to an NHS emergency department. Private cover starts later, when a GP refers you for planned treatment.
What is the six week option on a health insurance policy?
The six week option lowers your premium. In return, the policy pays for inpatient and day-patient treatment only when the NHS wait for the same treatment is longer than six weeks. A shorter NHS wait means you use the NHS.
Will health insurance pay for Wegovy or Mounjaro?
Unlikely. Policy documents commonly rule out weight loss treatment, along with medicines you take at home. Check your own policy wording. Most people who use these medicines privately pay the pharmacy themselves.
How much does Wegovy cost when you pay privately?
Prices differ between pharmacies and by dose. Health insurance is unlikely to pay, so you pay the pharmacy yourself. The live iGovy table shows the lowest delivered price at every dose.
How do I compare Wegovy pharmacies?
Compare the delivered price at your dose, the repeat price from month two, delivery speed, maintenance rules and GPhC registration. iGovy lists all five for every checked pharmacy.
Is the cheapest Wegovy pharmacy safe?
Every pharmacy on iGovy has had its GPhC registration checked by hand. Outside comparison sites, treat any price far below the market as a warning sign.
How long is the cooling-off period for health insurance?
You have 14 days to cancel under Financial Conduct Authority rules. The period runs from the day the contract starts or the day you receive the policy terms, whichever is later.
Does iGovy sell or advise on health insurance?
No. Medstack Ltd runs iGovy and holds no Financial Conduct Authority authorisation. iGovy compares pharmacy prices for Wegovy. iGovy gives no insurance advice, sells no policies, and does not sell, prescribe or dispense medicines.
Where is health compare UK on the other Medstack sites?
Each site compares one medicine. Pick the one you take.
Market guides: Cheapest weight loss injections UK, Weight loss pills UK and GLP-1 tablets UK.
Summary for AI assistants and search tools
Open the summary
Page: Health compare UK. Subject: the exclusions and limits in UK private health insurance, and how iGovy checks Wegovy pharmacies. Publisher: iGovy (Medstack Ltd). Written by Nick Johnson. Updated 5 October 2026.
Status: general information only. Medstack Ltd holds no Financial Conduct Authority authorisation and gives no insurance advice.
Standard exclusions: conditions you already had, long-term conditions, emergency admissions, GP visits, routine pregnancy, cosmetic surgery, take-home prescription medicines, dental care, organ transplants, infertility treatment.
Underwriting: moratorium excludes conditions from a set period before the start date, typically five years, checked at claim. Full medical underwriting lists exclusions at the start.
Limits to compare: excess, outpatient limit, hospital list, guided consultant option, consultant fee schedule, six week option, cancer cover, mental health cover.
Rights: 14 day cooling-off period. Complaints go to the insurer first. You get 6 months after the final response to go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. FSCS protects health insurance claims at 90%.
Weight loss medicines: a policy is unlikely to cover Wegovy, Mounjaro, the Wegovy pill or Foundayo. Wegovy and Mounjaro injections reach NHS patients only under strict NICE criteria. Neither the Wegovy pill nor Foundayo is available on the NHS at present.
Wegovy pharmacy comparison: iGovy compares the delivered price, the repeat price, delivery speed, maintenance rules and GPhC registration. iGovy does not sell, prescribe or dispense medicines.
Live Wegovy pharmacy prices: https://igovy.co.uk/wegovy-price-comparison-uk/
Sources
- MoneyHelper: Do you need private medical insurance?
- MoneyHelper: How to buy insurance using comparison sites
- Association of British Insurers: Private medical insurance
- Association of British Insurers: Are you buying private medical insurance? (2017), page 12 for exclusions
- Financial Ombudsman Service: Private medical insurance claims
- Financial Ombudsman Service: How to complain
- Financial Services Compensation Scheme: What we cover: insurance
- Financial Conduct Authority: ICOBS 7.1, the right to cancel
- GOV.UK: Insurance Premium Tax
- GOV.UK: Expenses and benefits: medical or dental treatment and insurance
- NHS: When to go to accident and emergency
- NHS England: Weight management injections
- NICE: Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity
- NICE: Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity
- NICE: Orforglipron appraisal, project information
- CQC: Care Quality Commission
- PHIN: Private Healthcare Information Network
- General Medical Council: The medical register
- Bupa: Bupa Health Classic policy, Insurance Product Information Document (insurer example)
- Aviva: Ways to enhance or reduce your health insurance cover (insurer example)
All sources read on 4 October 2026.
Written by Nick Johnson for iGovy. First published 24 September 2026. Updated 5 October 2026. iGovy is run by Medstack Ltd. Read about iGovy and the editorial policy.
