Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
1st Optimal vs Nava Health
Two GLP-1 programs on the bench, scored on the same six factors. Here's how their real cost of ownership compares — and which one we'd start with.
1st Optimal
Patients who want a named founding physician and a broader functional-medicine/hormone workup alongside GLP-1s.
Visit 1st OptimalNava Health
Shoppers who want an in-person, membership-based concierge weight-loss program and are comparing 3-month package costs rather than a monthly subscription.
Visit Nava HealthThe verdict
1st Optimal and Nava Health tie on the Cost-Efficiency Index at 41/100, so neither wins outright on the numbers. For most shoppers we'd start with 1st Optimal (ranked #518, a hair above #520) — Patients who want a named founding physician and a broader functional-medicine/hormone workup alongside GLP-1s. But Nava Health is a genuine coin-flip alternative here.
Worth knowing either way: our overall #1 pick is CoreAge Rx (Cost-Efficiency Index 94/100 — the top of the ranking). See how it stacks up: CoreAge Rx vs 1st Optimal.
Factor by factor
Both providers scored on our six Cost-Efficiency Index factors. The stronger side on each row is marked in teal.
Normalized Cost/Month
Price Transparency
Nationwide Access
Formulation Options
Clinical Oversight
Contract Flexibility
Pricing, coverage & formulary
The disclosed facts behind the scores. Lower price wins its row (teal).
| Spec | 1st Optimal | Nava Health |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 41/100 | 41/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | Not disclosed | $767/mo (starting dose, 3-month plan, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | — | $9,204 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | — | — |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #518 | #520 |
1st Optimal
41/100Where the value is
- Named founder and clinical lead: Dr. Amber Miller, a functional medicine physician
- LegitScript verification badge displayed
- No credit card required to start the intake quiz
The tradeoffs
- No GLP-1 pricing published anywhere on the public site
- No compounding pharmacy partner named
Nava Health
41/100Where the value is
- Real in-person clinics in Ashburn VA, Bethesda MD, Columbia MD, and Fairfax VA, plus nationwide telehealth
- Named nurse practitioners (Soraya Salehi FNP-C, Samantha Suller FNP, Ashley Beccaloni FNP-BC) and a staff nutritionist (Gina Cushenberry)
- Package price explicitly includes follow-up labs and medical consults, not just the medication
The tradeoffs
- Pricing is published as 3-month PACKAGES ($2,300 non-member Initial), not a monthly rate -- the ~$767/month equivalent is nowhere printed on the page
- The lower '$1,295'/'$1,480' member prices require ALREADY paying for a separate Nava Longevity ($159/mo) or Vitality ($111/mo) membership stacked on top
Assume any provider we list may compensate us — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes the Cost-Efficiency Index. Pricing, states and verification reflect each provider's public disclosures at last review; prices change — confirm on the provider's site. Not medical advice. See our disclosure.