Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
KERNX Health vs Welling 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 HealthWelling Health
Patients willing to log meals daily in exchange for a lower effective GLP-1 price.
Visit Welling 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. Welling Health still earns a C — Patients willing to log meals daily in exchange for a lower effective GLP-1 price.
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 | Welling Health |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 79/100 | 78/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $129/mo (compounded) | $190/mo (all doses, promotional rate, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $229/mo (compounded) | $275/mo (all doses, compounded) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,548 | $2,280 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $2,748 | $3,300 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | All 50 states |
| Oral / sublingual | No | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #36 | #40 |
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
Welling Health
78/100Where the value is
- Flat, dose-independent base pricing with no setup or consultation fees disclosed
- Licensed in all 50 states
- Named pharmacy tier (LegitScript-certified 503A, USP <797>) even though the specific pharmacy isn't named
The tradeoffs
- The eye-catching ~30%-off streak price is not the standing rate — it requires 30 unbroken consecutive days of in-app meal logging and resets if a day is missed, so $190/$275 is the realistic price for most patients most of the time
- Tirzepatide's $275 base rate is on the higher end of compounded competitors in this batch
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.