Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Balanced Hormone Health vs HealthSource
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.
Balanced Hormone Health
Patients who want a named, long-tenured medical advisor and unusually specific, named compounding pharmacy partners.
Visit Balanced Hormone HealthHealthSource
Cost-first shoppers who want nothing distinguishing was found — the least-disclosed of the sites researched here.
Visit HealthSourceThe verdict
Balanced Hormone Health and HealthSource tie on the Cost-Efficiency Index at 61/100, so neither wins outright on the numbers. For most shoppers we'd start with Balanced Hormone Health (ranked #224, a hair above #229) — Patients who want a named, long-tenured medical advisor and unusually specific, named compounding pharmacy partners. But HealthSource 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 Balanced Hormone 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 | Balanced Hormone Health | HealthSource |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 61/100 | 61/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $197/mo (starting dose, compounded) | Not disclosed |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $499/mo (3 month plan, compounded) | Not disclosed |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $2,364 | — |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $5,988 | — |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | All 50 states |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Yes | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #224 | #229 |
Balanced Hormone Health
61/100Where the value is
- Named Medical Advisor with three decades of practice (Dr. Gerstenberg, DO, since 1993)
- Two named, checkable compounding pharmacies (Tailormade Compounding, Striker Pharmacy) rather than a vague 'licensed pharmacy'
- LegitScript Certified badge displayed
The tradeoffs
- Semaglutide price is an explicit 'Starting at' teaser tied to a ~10-week window, not a clear ongoing monthly rate
- Tirzepatide's $499 is a 12-week lump-sum package presented without a per-month breakdown
HealthSource
61/100Where the value is
- Offers an oral tirzepatide option in addition to injectable, which not every site in this set does
- States medication ships from an 'FDA 503A licensed partner pharmacy'
- 3-5 business day shipping stated
The tradeoffs
- Billed every 4 weeks rather than by calendar month, which adds roughly one extra charge per year versus a true monthly rate — an 8%+ real-cost increase the headline price doesn't convey
- The compounding pharmacy is never named, only described generically as 'FDA 503A licensed partner pharmacy'
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.