Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
CoreAge Rx vs Nova
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.
CoreAge Rx
Anyone optimizing for real value — a transparent flat price you can model for a full year, nationwide, without a bait-and-switch.
Visit CoreAge RxNova
Readers who want the membership inside the quoted price rather than added to it, and who want a daily sublingual option beside the injection.
Visit NovaThe verdict
CoreAge Rx takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 94 to 72. Best value in the ranking: both molecules at one flat, all-50 price with no teaser step-ups — the lowest true cost of ownership, not the lowest teaser. Nova still earns a C — Readers who want the membership inside the quoted price rather than added to it, and who want a daily sublingual option beside the injection.
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 | CoreAge Rx | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 94/100 | 72/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $99/mo | $198/mo month-to-month all-in (medication plus the $99/mo membership; a "Starting at" floor that rises with dose) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $149/mo | $210/mo month-to-month all-in (same bundle; also a "Starting at" floor) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,188 | $2,376 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $1,788 | $2,520 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | 49 states |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #1 | #72 |
CoreAge Rx
94/100Where the value is
- Flat all-in monthly price — no intro rate that silently triples after month one, so the modeled annual cost is the real cost
- Both compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide on one account at published prices
- Available in all 50 states — no coverage gamble
The tradeoffs
- Not the rock-bottom sticker price — 30 of the 371 priced semaglutide programs we track list a cheaper figure, though most attach a term or a step-up that CoreAge does not
- No FDA-approved brand-name option (compounded only)
Nova
72/100Where the value is
- Quotes one all-in figure that already contains the $99 monthly membership, the medication and refrigerated shipping, so the membership is not a surprise at checkout
- Names a medical director and a nurse practitioner with credentials, training and residency detail
- Prices a daily oral route for both molecules alongside the weekly injections
The tradeoffs
- Three sets of prices are live at once: $198 and $210 in the hero, $229 and $279 in the same pages' own FAQ headings, and a third set in the site's JavaScript
- The FAQ's own arithmetic does not reach the headline — $99 membership plus $130 medication is $229, not the $198 quoted above it
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.