What Is GLP-1 Telehealth and When Should You Use These Platforms?
GLP-1 telehealth platforms deliver remote care for medical weight loss and cardiometabolic health through virtual visits. These systems connect patients to licensed providers, prescription services, and digital tools without in-person appointments.
GLP-1s, a class of medications for obesity treatment, are now a core therapy in many programs. Market demand is rising fast, with the weight-loss sector projected to reach $71.6 billion by 2030.
Use a GLP-1 telehealth platform when your business model depends on national scale, fast regulatory compliance, and integrated pharmacy fulfillment. For D2C brands, insurers, and employers, these platforms reduce time-to-market from months to weeks while limiting legal and operational risk.
How We Evaluated These GLP-1 Platforms
We compared white-label telehealth and pharmacy vendors using structured criteria:
- Nationwide coverage and clinical quality – 50-state licensing, prescriber credentials (MD/DO vs NP/PA mix), and capacity for asynchronous or synchronous care models.
- Pharmacy and medication access – Support for brand GLP-1s (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound), 503A and 503B compounded semaglutide/tirzepatide, and prior-authorization workflows.
- Launch speed and developer experience – API-first or turnkey models, time to live, and ecommerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.).
- Pricing transparency and commercial structure – SaaS fees, per-visit models, PMPM (per-member per-month), and revenue-share terms.
- Compliance and risk mitigation – HIPAA BAA, SOC 2 Type II, LegitScript certification, and how liability is allocated between you and the vendor.
Every platform in this list has live GLP-1 programs in production. We reviewed their contracts, tested onboarding flows, and spoke to operators using these platforms at scale.
What to Look for When Choosing a GLP-1 Telehealth Platform
50-State Clinician Coverage
Your platform must provide licensed prescribers in all states where you want to operate. Check whether the vendor supplies a managed network (easier launch, less control) or requires you to bring your own providers (more flexibility, more overhead).
Understand provider composition. MD/DO-only networks carry higher credibility but may cost more. Mixed networks with nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) offer broader capacity and lower per- visit costs but require careful oversight for GLP-1 prescribing.
Pharmacy Access and Medication Types
GLP-1 programs must account for brand-name drug availability and cost. Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound remain in high demand but face supply shortages and high cash prices.
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide from 503A and 503B pharmacies offer lower-cost alternatives for cash-pay models. However, FDA guidance restricts compounding when brand drugs are not in shortage. Work with platforms that monitor FDA updates and pharmacy compliance closely.
Confirm fulfillment speed. Patients expect same-day or next-day shipping. Ask whether the platform manages pharmacy routing, handles insurance claims (if applicable), and provides patient support for delivery issues.
Launch Timeline and Integration Complexity
API-first platforms like MD Integrations, Foundation Health, and TelegraMD give engineering teams deep control but require 6–12 weeks of integration work. These platforms suit technical teams building custom patient experiences.
Turnkey platforms like Bask Health, Wheel, and CareValidate reduce launch time to 2–8 weeks with pre-built intake flows, white-label patient portals, and bundled EMR and e-prescribing. These are better for operators without large engineering budgets.
Hybrid models, like SteadyMD and UpScript Health, offer both hosted workflows and API access. Use these if you want fast launch now with the option to customize later.
Pricing Models and Hidden Costs
Most GLP-1 telehealth vendors use one of four pricing structures:
- Per-visit fees – Typically $30–$75 per consult. Predictable at low volumes but expensive at scale.
- SaaS subscriptions – Monthly or annual fees ranging from $500 to $10,000+ depending on features and visit volume commitments.
- PMPM (per member per month) – Common for enterprise and health plan contracts. Prices vary from $5–$50 PMPM depending on service scope.
- Revenue share – Vendor takes a percentage of gross revenue (10%–30%) in exchange for lower upfront costs. Best for early-stage startups with limited capital.
Watch for hidden fees: onboarding charges, setup costs, monthly minimums, and cancellation penalties. Always request a detailed pricing breakdown before signing.
Compliance and Risk Allocation
Every GLP-1 platform must provide a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for HIPAA compliance. Review how clinical liability is structured. Does the vendor employ clinicians directly, or do they contract with independent provider groups?
Look for SOC 2 Type II certification and ask how often audits occur. Check LegitScript certification for pharmacy partners. Understand how pharmacy risk (compounding errors, dosing issues, adverse events) is allocated between you and the vendor.
For programs targeting insured patients, confirm the platform supports payer credentialing, claims submission, and prior authorizations. Many GLP-1 programs are cash-pay because insurance coverage is limited and PA requirements are strict.
Comparing GLP-1 Telehealth Platforms: Key Differences
All-in-One vs API-First Models
All-in-one platforms like Bask Health, Wheel, and CareValidate bundle clinician networks, EMR, pharmacy fulfillment, and patient engagement tools. They reduce vendor fragmentation and speed up launches but offer less flexibility for custom workflows.
API-first platforms like MD Integrations, Foundation Health, and TelegraMD give you more control over the patient experience. You can build custom intake flows, integrate with existing CRMs, and control data pipelines. The tradeoff is longer implementation timelines and higher engineering costs.
Managed vs Bring-Your-Own Clinician Networks
Managed networks (Wheel, SteadyMD, OpenLoop, CareValidate) handle clinician credentialing, scheduling, and clinical oversight. This reduces operational burden but limits your control over provider selection and clinical protocols.
Bring-your-own (BYO) models give you full control of hiring, training, and clinical quality. However, you bear the cost of 50-state licensing, malpractice insurance, and credentialing. Most startups begin with managed networks and transition to BYO models as they scale.
Brand vs Compounded GLP-1 Medications
Brand-name GLP-1s (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound) carry FDA approval and strong clinical evidence but cost $900–$1,300 per month at cash prices. They're best for insurance-based programs or high-margin D2C models.
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide from 503A and 503B pharmacies cost $200–$400 per month and enable lower-price D2C subscription models. However, FDA guidance restricts compounding when brand drugs are not in shortage. Monitor FDA updates and work with platforms that manage pharmacy compliance actively.
Platform-by-Platform Breakdown
Bask Health
Best for: D2C telehealth startups that want fast launch without a large engineering team.
Why it works: Bask Health combines EMR, e-prescribing, pharmacy fulfillment, and a nationwide clinician network in one stack. You can launch GLP-1, TRT, ED, and other programs across all 50 states in 4–8 weeks without stitching together multiple vendors.
Watch out if: You want fully transparent, self-serve public pricing or insist on selecting every point solution individually.
CareValidate
Best for: VC-backed telehealth startups that need white-label infrastructure and flexible commercial models.
Why it works: CareValidate unifies clinicians, pharmacy, labs, and automation via Carrie AI to launch GLP-1, TRT, ED, and other D2C programs across all 50 states with strong compliance (SOC 2, LegitScript).
Watch out if: You expect simple off-the-shelf public pricing instead of custom B2B contracts.
Wheel
Best for: Digital health and retail brands that want turnkey clinicians plus telehealth infrastructure.
Why it works: Wheel provides a 50-state, NCQA-credentialed clinician network and white- label virtual care platform, with integrated pharmacy (Amazon Pharmacy, Cost Plus Drug Company), labs, and analytics.
Watch out if: You want full control of your own clinician hiring and operations.
SteadyMD
Best for: Large or rapidly scaling digital health brands that need 50-state coverage and managed clinical operations.
Why it works: SteadyMD powers 200,000+ monthly visits across all 50 states with flexible integration options and deep operational support for GLP-1, TRT, ED, behavioral health, and more.
Watch out if: You're a very small or pre-seed startup with limited budgets and minimal engineering capacity.
MD Integrations
Best for: Ecommerce-first D2C brands using Shopify or WooCommerce that need physician coverage.
Why it works: MD Integrations is an API-first, physician-only telehealth network with fast response times, ecommerce integrations, and strong compliance controls.
Watch out if: You want to bring your own clinician network instead of using a vendor- supplied one.
TelegraMD
Best for: Price-sensitive startups that want usage-based pricing and no monthly platform fees.
Why it works: TelegraMD offers a 50-state clinician and compounding-pharmacy network with a pure usage-based pricing model, making it attractive for D2C brands that want to test or scale GLP-1, TRT, ED, and similar programs without monthly minimums.
Watch out if: You need enterprise SLAs, warranties, or money-back guarantees.
Foundation Health
Best for: Large health systems, insurers, and mature D2C brands that can invest in engineering-heavy integrations.
Why it works: Foundation Health is a developer-first digital pharmacy and telehealth platform that offers 50-state coverage, a 1,000+ clinician network, and automation via PAIGE AI to reduce manual pharmacy work.
Watch out if: You're a smaller team without in-house engineering or integration resources.
UpScript Health
Best for: Cash-pay D2C brands that rely on streamlined workflows and compounding partners.
Why it works: UpScript Health connects D2C brands to nationwide clinicians, labs, and pharmacies for GLP-1, TRT, ED, dermatology, and primary care programs, with flexible pricing models (SaaS, per-visit, PMPM, rev-share).
Watch out if: You have very low risk tolerance for compounded medications and dosing errors.
Common Mistakes When Choosing a GLP-1 Telehealth Platform
Underestimating Integration Complexity
API-first platforms give you control but require significant engineering effort. Budget 6–12 weeks for integration work and factor in ongoing maintenance costs. If you don't have a strong engineering team, choose a turnkey platform instead.
Ignoring Pharmacy Risk
Compounded GLP-1 medications carry higher risk than brand-name drugs. FDA guidance restricts compounding when brand drugs are available. Work with platforms that monitor FDA updates, maintain LegitScript certification, and have clear processes for handling adverse events.
Overlooking State-Specific Requirements
Telehealth regulations vary by state. Some states require in-person visits before prescribing weight loss medications. Others restrict NP/PA prescribing authority. Confirm your platform tracks state-level requirements and updates clinical protocols accordingly.
Focusing Only on Launch Speed
Fast launch is important, but long-term scalability matters more. Evaluate whether your platform can handle 10x growth in patient volume, support multiple therapeutic programs, and integrate with payers if you pivot to insurance-based models.
Next Steps
Use this list as a starting point for your vendor evaluation. Click through to read full platform reviews for detailed breakdowns of coverage, pricing, and implementation timelines.
Schedule demos with your top two or three candidates. Test their onboarding flows, ask for customer references, and validate pricing assumptions before signing. Pay close attention to contract terms, especially around minimum commitments, cancellation policies, and liability allocation.
For additional guidance, read our detailed guides on how to choose a white-label telehealth platform, integrating pharmacy fulfillment, and launching compliant D2C weight loss programs.
