Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
KERNX Health vs Renlo 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.
KERNX Health
Shoppers comparing the real cost at their prescribed dose rather than the advertised entry price.
Visit KERNX HealthRenlo Health
Someone who wants a flat monthly bill that will not step up, with a refund route if it does not work.
Visit Renlo HealthThe verdict
KERNX Health takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 79 to 78. KERNX Health serves all 50 states, names its prescribing clinicians individually, and publishes the price of every dose rung — but never says which pharmacy compounds the medication. Renlo Health still earns a C — Someone who wants a flat monthly bill that will not step up, with a refund route if it does not work.
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 KERNX 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 | KERNX Health | Renlo Health |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 79/100 | 78/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $129/mo (compounded) | $199/mo, billed monthly at every dose |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $229/mo (compounded) | $269/mo, billed monthly at every dose |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,548 | $2,388 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $2,748 | $3,228 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | Not disclosed |
| Oral / sublingual | No | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #36 | #42 |
KERNX Health
79/100Where the value is
- Names individual licensed providers (MDs and NPs) with credentials rather than a vague 'our doctors' claim
- Serves all 50 states through a licensed physician network
- Publishes the full dose ladder for both molecules — semaglutide to $199, tirzepatide to $329 — so the cost at a higher dose is knowable before starting
The tradeoffs
- A separate one-time consultation fee of $25 to $60 applies on top of the first month's medication cost
- No specific compounding pharmacy partner is named anywhere public
Renlo Health
78/100Where the value is
- The headline is the real month-to-month rate — no prepay division and no commitment behind an asterisk
- Names the prescribing physician, Dr. Sean Arora, MD, and the dispensing pharmacy, VialsRX
- Same price at every dose with a price-lock badge, so titrating up never moves the bill
The tradeoffs
- A struck-through $299 sits beside the price with no published basis — Renlo never says what it was, when it applied or to whom
- That strikethrough comes from a stylesheet rule rather than a struck-out element, so a markup-level check would report the page clean
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.