The advertised price and the amount that leaves your account over a year are different numbers, and at some providers the gap runs into four figures. This is the arithmetic, done properly.
Key Takeaways
- First-month intro pricing affects one twelfth of your year-one spend and dominates every marketing page.
- Dose escalation raises your cost at tiered providers around the time the intro rate expires.
- Four-week billing cycles produce thirteen charges a year, not twelve.
- Flat-price providers on long plans are usually cheapest over twelve months and most expensive to leave early.
- The correct comparison metric is total twelve-month outlay, not monthly rate.
The four things that move the twelve-month number
Intro rate duration. A $49 first month against a $299 ongoing rate saves you $250 once. Over twelve months that is worth about $21 a month, not $250 a month.
Dose escalation timing. At a tiered provider you typically reach a higher-priced tier somewhere in months three to six. Your average monthly cost is therefore weighted toward the higher tiers, not the starting one.
Billing cycle length. Thirteen four-week cycles against twelve calendar months is an 8.3% difference that never appears in a price comparison.
Shipping and fees. Individually small, annually not. Cold-chain shipping charged per order on a monthly plan adds up across twelve orders.
| Provider | Year-one structure | What drives the annual total |
|---|---|---|
| Telos Rx | Intro month, then flat by plan length | Plan length chosen — the spread between short and long plans is large |
| Wellorithm | Flat published per format | Straightforward — twelve times the published rate |
| Found Health | $189 per 4-week cycle | Thirteen cycles: roughly $2,457 rather than $2,268 |
| Yucca Health | $175 first, then $275/mo, or $206/mo on a 6-month plan | Whether you take the plan or pay month-to-month |
| SHED | From $199, converting after the initial term; $399 at 7.5 mg+ tirzepatide | Dose tier reached and when the term converts |
| MadeMed | Tiered by dose; quarterly billing available | How fast you escalate, and whether you take quarterly billing |
| Embody | $69–$99 intro, roughly $299/mo ongoing | Almost entirely the ongoing rate |
| Strut Health ⚠️ | Flat published sublingual rate | Straightforward — twelve times the published rate |
Worked example: intro pricing versus flat pricing
Provider A: $49 first month, $299 ongoing. Year one = $49 + (11 × $299) = $3,338.
Provider B: $229 flat, every month. Year one = 12 × $229 = $2,748.
Provider A wins every headline comparison by a factor of nearly five and costs $590 more over the year. This is not a hypothetical distortion — it is the standard structure of the category.
Wellorithm
Lowest published oral price- Compounded tablet format — no needles, no cold chain
- Publishes per-format pricing rather than bundling everything into one plan
- Injectable options also offered
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Compounded GLP-1 medications are prepared by state-licensed pharmacies and are not the same as FDA-approved brand products.
Telos Rx (Tirzepatide)
Flat pricing by plan length- Price is flat regardless of dose tier once your plan is set
- 12-month plan carries the lowest monthly rate; 1-month is the highest
- Cancel anytime; FSA/HSA accepted
Telos publishes plan-length pricing rather than dose-tier pricing, so the number you see at signup depends on the commitment you choose, not the milligrams you take.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Compounded GLP-1 medications are prepared by state-licensed pharmacies and are not the same as FDA-approved brand products.
Embody
Injectable semaglutide- Injectable semaglutide program
- Promotional intro pricing varies by landing page
- HSA/FSA accepted
Intro-versus-ongoing: Embody's headline price is a first-month promotional rate. Per its published terms, ongoing semaglutide refills are substantially higher. Budget from the refill number. Embody's injectable semaglutide line is what we cover — we do not promote its oral gum product.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Compounded GLP-1 medications are prepared by state-licensed pharmacies and are not the same as FDA-approved brand products.
The escalation weighting most people miss
At a tiered provider you do not spend twelve months at the starting price. A typical escalation puts you at a mid tier by month three and near maintenance by month six. If the starting tier is $179 and the maintenance tier is $299, your weighted average is much closer to $299 than the midpoint, because you spend more months at the top than at the bottom.
Anyone comparing tiered providers on their starting price is comparing the two months that matter least.
SHED
Multi-format- Carries brand-name options alongside compounded: Wegovy pen $199, oral Wegovy pill $149, Zepbound $349 plus a $99 membership
- 120-day results guarantee (terms updated June 10, 2026)
- Multi-month terms convert to a different ongoing rate — read the conversion language
Price-jump disclosure: SHED's tirzepatide pricing increases to $399/mo once you reach the 7.5 mg maintenance tier. Budget for the higher number, not the entry number.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Compounded GLP-1 medications are prepared by state-licensed pharmacies and are not the same as FDA-approved brand products.
Found Health
4-week billing cycle- Bills in 4-week cycles, not calendar months — 13 cycles a year, not 12
- Behavior-change coaching bundled with the medication track
- Dissolvable tablet format
A 4-week cycle means your true annual cost is 13 × the quoted price. Worth doing the multiplication before comparing against a monthly-billed competitor.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Compounded GLP-1 medications are prepared by state-licensed pharmacies and are not the same as FDA-approved brand products.
Yucca Health
Injectable only- Clear intro-versus-ongoing split published up front
- Free UPS 2-Day Air shipping
- Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay available on 6-month plans
Injectable only. Yucca's headline promo rate is tied to the 6-month new-patient plan — the month-to-month rate is substantially higher.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. The FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Compounded GLP-1 medications are prepared by state-licensed pharmacies and are not the same as FDA-approved brand products.
The number to write down before you sign up
Take the maintenance rate. Multiply by ten. Add the intro month and the second month at whatever they cost. Add shipping if it is charged separately, multiplied by the number of orders. If the cycle is four-weekly, add one extra cycle.
That total, not the price on the landing page, is what you should compare across providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are intro discounts worth chasing?
Only if the ongoing rate is also competitive. A deep intro discount attached to a high ongoing rate costs more over a year than a moderate flat rate.
Is quarterly billing cheaper?
Usually the effective monthly rate is lower, in exchange for paying a larger sum up front and reducing your flexibility to leave.
How much does dose escalation add?
At tiered providers it can be the difference between a $179 starting rate and a $299–$399 maintenance rate. At flat-price providers it adds nothing, which is the entire value of that structure.
Do any providers charge separately for shipping?
Some include it and some do not. Across twelve monthly orders a per-order cold-chain shipping charge is a meaningful annual line item.