Methodology · Updated 2026
How we rank GLP-1 telehealth providers
CompareRx.org scores 100+ telehealth programs with a transparent, weighted system — then personalizes the ranking to your answers. Here's exactly how it works, what we weight, and how we stay honest about it.
The scoring model
Six signals, weighted honestly
Every provider gets a score from 0–100. The weights below add up to 100% and are applied the same way to every program — sponsored or not.
True cost fit
25%How closely a provider's real out-the-door monthly price matches your stated budget. We compare total cost — subscription + medication + shipping — not just the sticker teaser.
Care quality score
25%A six-metric care rating (clinical support, screening rigor, transparency, insurance assistance, supplemental care, and customer satisfaction) modeled on the standards U.S. News & World Report used for its first GLP-1 telehealth ratings. Detail below.
Medication match
15%Whether they actually offer what you want — branded semaglutide, branded tirzepatide, compounded GLP-1, or an oral option — in the dose ranges you need.
Payment preference
15%Insurance vs. cash-pay fit. If you want to use insurance, we prioritize programs that will actually bill it. If you're paying cash, we rank on transparent flat pricing.
Your priorities
10%The tie-breakers you flagged — same-day access, doctor-led care, ongoing coaching, discreet packaging, cancel-anytime — get real weight, not lip service.
Reviews & trust
10%Aggregated customer ratings, complaint patterns, licensing verification, and how the provider handles refills and shortages.
Inside the care quality score
Six care metrics, rated 0–5 for every provider
In August 2026, U.S. News & World Report published its first ratings of GLP-1 telehealth platforms, judging them on clinical support, screening rigor, transparency, insurance assistance, supplemental care, and customer satisfaction. We think that framing is right — price alone was never a good way to choose a prescriber — so we rebuilt our model around the same six dimensions and apply them to every provider we track, not just the largest 20.
Each metric is scored 0–5 from verifiable evidence on the provider's site and our own review pool, then combined into a single care quality score that carries 25% of the overall ranking. You can see the full breakdown on every provider profile.
Clinical support
Real-time video visits with a licensed clinician (not just asynchronous chat), side-effect support such as anti-nausea prescribing, follow-up frequency, and how fast a clinician answers a message.
Screening rigor
Depth of the medical intake, whether baseline blood work is required, kidney/liver and contraindication checks, and whether anyone can be declined. Programs that write a prescription with no meaningful evaluation score at the floor.
Transparency
Published true monthly cost, membership fees separated from medication cost, plain cancellation terms, disclosure of whether the drug is FDA-approved or compounded, and a recent verification date.
Insurance assistance
Whether the program bills insurance, runs coverage checks, files prior authorizations and appeals on your behalf, and accepts FSA/HSA funds.
Customer satisfaction
Verified customer ratings across our review pool plus how likely members are to recommend the program — weighted down when the sample is thin.
Supplemental care
Dietitian and nutrition access, muscle-preservation and protein guidance, progress-tracking apps, and coaching or community support around the medication.
Tie-breakers
When two providers score identically
Ties happen — especially at the top. We break them in a fixed, published order so the ranking is reproducible:
- 1. Higher weighted score wins.
- 2. Non-sponsored provider wins over sponsored.
- 3. Higher care quality score wins.
- 4. Higher verified customer rating, then review volume.
- 5. Alphabetical, so results stay stable across page loads.
Under the hood
Data, refresh cadence & safety
Where the data comes from
Provider websites, published price sheets, state medical board licensing, GLP-1 manufacturer lists, verified customer reviews, and direct outreach for anything ambiguous. Every data point has a source we can point to.
How often it's refreshed
Pricing and medication availability are re-checked at least monthly, and immediately when a reader flags a change or a manufacturer announces a shortage. State availability is re-verified quarterly.
Personalization
The ranking you see is generated from your 90-second questionnaire answers — age, BMI, state, budget, medication preference, insurance status, and priorities. Two people with different answers should — and will — see different top 3s.
Safety guardrails
Hard contraindications (pregnancy, personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, MEN2) always surface a warning, regardless of score. We never rank a provider that's non-compliant with FDA guidance above one that is.
Editorial independence
What we won't do
Accept payment to boost a score.
Hide sponsored relationships — they're labeled every time.
Rank a provider we can't verify is licensed to prescribe in your state.
Recommend compounded GLP-1 above branded when a hard safety flag is present.
Use fake or incentivized customer reviews in our rating aggregate.
Change the weights based on which provider is paying us.
How we make money
Some providers pay CompareRx.org a commission when you sign up through a link on this site. That's how we keep the comparison free for readers. It does not influence a provider's score, its position in your top 3, or the data on its profile. Sponsored placements — where they exist — are labeled clearly with an "Ad" tag. Read the full affiliate disclosure.
See something off?
Corrections & feedback
Pricing changes fast in this category. If a number looks wrong, a provider dropped a state, or a review pattern shifted — tell us. We investigate every flag and update within days.
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