Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Cost Plus Drugs vs Bayan 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.
Cost Plus Drugs
Cost-first shoppers who want the cheapest transparent-pricing brand-name Ozempic channel.
Visit Cost Plus DrugsBayan Health
Cost-first shoppers who want a flat all-dose price across several routes and can commit to a two- or three-month protocol.
Visit Bayan HealthThe verdict
Cost Plus Drugs and Bayan Health tie on the Cost-Efficiency Index at 64/100, so neither wins outright on the numbers. For most shoppers we'd start with Cost Plus Drugs (ranked #167, a hair above #174) — Cost-first shoppers who want the cheapest transparent-pricing brand-name Ozempic channel. But Bayan 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 Cost Plus Drugs.
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 | Cost Plus Drugs | Bayan Health |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 64/100 | 64/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $279/mo (brand Ozempic) | $129.00/month billed monthly (standard injectable with vitamin B6; three months of medication ship at once) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | Not disclosed | $149.00/month billed monthly (standard injectable with vitamin B6; same three-month protocol) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $3,348 | $1,548 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | — | $1,788 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Yes | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #167 | #174 |
Cost Plus Drugs
64/100Where the value is
- Transparent pricing: wholesale cost + 15% markup + $5 pharmacy fee, the same for everyone
- Around $279/mo for branded Ozempic — well below typical retail list prices
- Mark Cuban's PBM-disrupting pharmacy, praised by Forbes Health, Wired, and KFF Health News
The tradeoffs
- Fulfillment only — no telehealth intake; you need a prescription from an outside clinician
- Ozempic is FDA-indicated for type 2 diabetes, not weight management — weight-loss use is off-label
Bayan Health
64/100Where the value is
- Among the lowest published flat rates for either molecule, with the medication, the physician consultation and expedited shipping inside the figure
- "Same Flat Price. No Matter the Dose." is stated on the product pages, so the cost does not climb as a provider titrates
- Sells six GLP-1 routes at published prices — standard and low-dose injections, oral drops for both molecules — plus orforglipron tablets at $269 a month
The tradeoffs
- Medication ships two or three months at a time and the terms say the payment obligation covers the entire protocol dispensed, so a monthly figure is not a monthly commitment
- Opting out requires 15 days' notice before the next protocol cycle, while the FAQ says you can cancel at any time
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.