U.S. News rates 20 GLP-1 telehealth platforms, leaving out compounded-only sellers

U.S. News & World Report released its first ratings of GLP-1 telehealth platforms on Aug. 12, scoring 20 online providers that offer FDA-approved, brand-name GLP-1 medications. Companies offering only compounded GLP-1s were not included, though some of the rated platforms sell both brand-name and compounded versions, and U.S. News evaluated only the brand-name side of their business ^[1].

How the ratings were built

U.S. News used 14,161 data points and feedback from more than 1,200 active GLP-1 users. Platforms were scored on a five-point scale across six categories: clinical support (25%), screening rigor (20%), transparency (17%), insurance assistance (15%), supplemental care (13%) and overall customer satisfaction (10%) ^[1].

Eleven platforms received top ratings: Amazon One Medical (4.8), Found (4.6), Mochi Health (4.4), Ro (4.4), Noom (4.3), PlushCare (4.1), Fridays (4.0), Ivim Health (4.0), LifeMD (4.0), Remedy Meds (3.9) and WeightWatchers (3.9) ^[1]. Four were singled out for individual strengths: Amazon One Medical for insurance support, Found for clinical support, Noom for supplemental support and Ro for customer satisfaction ^[1].

"Finding transparent cost details and reliable decision support data is often confusing to consumers," said Gretel Schueller, managing editor of health at U.S. News. She said the ratings were created to bring clarity to "a complex marketplace" ^[1].

Where compounded versions still show up

Forbes Health published its own ranking of online GLP-1 providers, last audited and verified Sept. 14. It analyzed 10 platforms on medication offerings, program cost and insurance acceptance, then sent top platforms to real users for testing ^[2].

The Forbes list includes Remedy Meds, which it describes as specializing in compounded medications while also offering Zepbound, the brand-name version of tirzepatide, and Mochi Health, which offers prescriptions for both brand-name and compounded GLP-1s ^[2]. Both companies also appear in the U.S. News ratings ^[1]. Forbes describes another listed platform, Weight Watchers Med+, as offering personalized treatment plans that may include Wegovy or Zepbound ^[2].

Which platforms still steer patients toward compounded GLP-1s through a patient-specific pathway has not been detailed in either rating ^[1][2]. Neither rating says how many patients receive compounded products rather than brand-name ones ^[1][2].

What clinicians say about oversight

Schueller said patients should get a real-time interaction with a clinician, such as a video consult, rather than an asynchronous chat alone, and that clinical oversight should include a medical history check and blood work before a GLP-1 prescription ^[1].

"You want to make sure the treatment is appropriate for your body by testing kidney and liver function," she said. "After all, these are prescription medications. They have side effects. For some people, they carry real risks if you have certain medical conditions or a certain health history" ^[1].

Fatima Syed, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University and a medical weight management specialist at Duke Health, said people seeking GLP-1s through telehealth should pick a company where they can easily reach a medical professional. "If you have a question, who do you ask? Who's on call for you?" she said ^[1].

A joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society said patients prescribed GLP-1s, in person or through telehealth, should receive "a thoughtful plan of care" that helps them manage difficult side effects and includes nutritional and lifestyle counseling before, during and after weight loss ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

The two rankings weigh different things, and the difference is practical. U.S. News gave insurance assistance 15% of a platform's score and named Amazon One Medical best in that category, and gave transparency 17% ^[1]. Forbes, which discloses that it earns compensation from advertisers and affiliate links, weighed medication offerings, cost and insurance acceptance along with user testing ^[2].

Because compounded-only companies were excluded from the U.S. News list, a high score there reflects the brand-name side of a platform's business, not its compounded products ^[1]. For patients comparing options, that means a platform's rating does not necessarily describe its compounded-medication pathway, and neither rating reports prices for compounded versus brand-name versions ^[1][2].

What happens next

U.S. News' ratings cover 2026-2027, and Forbes' list carries a Sept. 14 audit date ^[1][2]. Neither publication has said when it will update its rankings. Neither addressed whether any rated platform has received an FDA warning letter or is a defendant in litigation brought by drug manufacturers ^[1][2].