Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Avono Health vs MDExam
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.
Avono Health
Shoppers specifically wanting an oral-capsule semaglutide option and willing to prepay a full quarter.
Visit Avono HealthMDExam
Cost-first shoppers who want a lower injectable-semaglutide starting price than the site's own headline claim advertises.
Visit MDExamThe verdict
Avono Health and MDExam tie on the Cost-Efficiency Index at 49/100, so neither wins outright on the numbers. For most shoppers we'd start with Avono Health (ranked #419, a hair above #423) — Shoppers specifically wanting an oral-capsule semaglutide option and willing to prepay a full quarter. But MDExam 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 Avono Health.
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 | Avono Health | MDExam |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 49/100 | 49/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $699/mo (3-month plan, compounded) | $192/mo (compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | Not disclosed | $258/mo (compounded) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $8,388 | $2,304 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | — | $3,096 |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #419 | #423 |
Avono Health
49/100Where the value is
- Offers a genuinely rare oral-capsule semaglutide format, not just injectable
- Transparent that pricing is a 3-month bundle rather than hiding the prepay structure
- US-nationwide clinician network claimed
The tradeoffs
- 'Saves $X vs. monthly' claims can't be verified since the standalone monthly price is never disclosed
- No tirzepatide offering at all -- semaglutide only
MDExam
49/100Where the value is
- Injectable semaglutide at $192/mo undercuts the company's own advertised '$225 as low as' floor
- Accepts insurance for eligible patients in addition to cash-pay options
- 100% refund offered if a patient doesn't qualify after evaluation
The tradeoffs
- The site's own headline claim ('priced as low as $225/month') doesn't match either actual product price — tirzepatide at $258/mo is more expensive than the claimed floor, which should make a shopper distrust the headline number generally
- No specific dose is disclosed for either the $192 or $258 figure, making it impossible to know what's actually being compared
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.