Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Solaya MD vs Balanced Hormone 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.
Solaya MD
Readers who want the pharmacy and the prescribing group identifiable before signing up, and who do not mind creating an account to learn the price.
Visit Solaya MDBalanced Hormone Health
Patients who want a named, long-tenured medical advisor and unusually specific, named compounding pharmacy partners.
Visit Balanced Hormone HealthThe verdict
Solaya MD takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 62 to 61. Solaya MD names its partner pharmacy with an address and its medical director with an NPI, and publishes one unscoped "starts at $185" figure with no molecule, no dose and no billing cycle attached to it. Balanced Hormone Health still earns a C — Patients who want a named, long-tenured medical advisor and unusually specific, named compounding pharmacy partners.
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 Solaya MD.
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 | Solaya MD | Balanced Hormone Health |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 62/100 | 61/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | Not disclosed — the only public figure is an unscoped "Pricing starts at $185" with no molecule and no billing cycle | $197/mo (starting dose, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | Not disclosed — the same unscoped $185 floor is the only figure published for either molecule | $499/mo (3 month plan, compounded) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | — | $2,364 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | — | $5,988 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Yes |
| Rank here | #220 | #224 |
Solaya MD
62/100Where the value is
- Names its partner pharmacy, VialsRX, with a street address, phone number and website, revealed by a control on the FAQ
- Names the medical group and a medical director with an NPI number, which can be looked up independently
- Offers both oral and injectable routes and a low-dose program under one program price
The tradeoffs
- No drug-scoped price is published: the only public figure is "Pricing starts at $185" with no molecule, no dose and no billing cycle, and everything specific sits behind a create-account gate
- That figure sits above a line reading "clinician calls and care coaching available*" whose asterisk has no footnote anywhere on the page
Balanced Hormone Health
61/100Where the value is
- Named Medical Advisor with three decades of practice (Dr. Gerstenberg, DO, since 1993)
- Two named, checkable compounding pharmacies (Tailormade Compounding, Striker Pharmacy) rather than a vague 'licensed pharmacy'
- LegitScript Certified badge displayed
The tradeoffs
- Semaglutide price is an explicit 'Starting at' teaser tied to a ~10-week window, not a clear ongoing monthly rate
- Tirzepatide's $499 is a 12-week lump-sum package presented without a per-month breakdown
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.