Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Better MedSpa vs Framework
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.
Better MedSpa
Shoppers who want an in-person Chicago/Illinois med spa GLP-1 program and are comparing the real month-to-month rate, not the quarterly-discounted headline.
Visit Better MedSpaFramework
Cost-first shoppers who want doctor-guided treatment selection with a named pharmacy, if you can accept learning the price only after intake.
Visit FrameworkThe verdict
Better MedSpa takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 46 to 45. Better MedSpa is a Chicago-based, statewide-Illinois med spa and telehealth practice under medical director Dr. Brett Brechner, DO, offering semaglutide and tirzepatide with an in-person location in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Framework still earns a C — Cost-first shoppers who want doctor-guided treatment selection with a named pharmacy, if you can accept learning the price only after intake.
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 Better MedSpa.
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 | Better MedSpa | Framework |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 46/100 | 45/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $300/mo (compounded) | Not disclosed |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $400/mo (compounded) | Not disclosed |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $3,600 | — |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $4,800 | — |
| Coverage | 1 state | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #456 | #463 |
Better MedSpa
46/100Where the value is
- Named medical director, Dr. Brett Brechner, DO, publicly credited on-site
- Real dollar pricing published on the memberships page for both semaglutide and tirzepatide, broken out by 1-month vs. 3-month commitment
- Serves Illinois statewide via telehealth with an in-person Lincoln Park, Chicago location
The tradeoffs
- The treatment page's advertised 'Starting at $290' is the 3-month PREPAID rate, not the standing price -- month-to-month semaglutide is actually $300/month
- No pharmacy name, LegitScript certification, or lab/COA testing disclosure found anywhere on the site
Framework
45/100Where the value is
- The compounding pharmacy partner is named, which most of this field does not do
- Treatment selection is doctor-guided rather than a fixed product menu
- US-licensed clinicians and a 503A pharmacy pathway
The tradeoffs
- No monthly medication price is published: the tirzepatide and semaglutide pages carry no price at all, and the homepage advertises a per-week figure for 'GLP-1s' generally rather than a rate for either drug
- The only drug-specific prices anywhere on the site sit on a legacy page — semaglutide at $349 per three months and tirzepatide at $549 per three months
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.