Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Telos Rx vs Elara MD
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.
Telos Rx
Needle-averse shoppers pricing an oral tirzepatide tablet at a flat rate that does not climb with the dose, and who accept that the injectable side of the menu will not quote a standing price until they are inside the funnel.
Visit Telos RxElara MD
Cost-first shoppers who want semaglutide-range and tirzepatide-range GLP-1 plus wellness peptides.
Visit Elara MDThe verdict
Elara MD takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 58 to 56. Elara MD is a weight-loss and wellness telehealth platform offering weekly injectable GLP-1 therapy alongside a peptide menu (NAD+, sermorelin, glutathione). Telos Rx still earns a C — Needle-averse shoppers pricing an oral tirzepatide tablet at a flat rate that does not climb with the dose, and who accept that the injectable side of the menu will not quote a standing price until they are inside the funnel.
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 Elara 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 | Telos Rx | Elara MD |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 56/100 | 58/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | Not disclosed — intake-gated | $249/mo (0.2 mg dose, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $229/mo oral tablets (a Telos month is 4 weeks; injectable not published) | $349/mo (2.0 mg dose, compounded) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | — | $2,988 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $2,748 | $4,188 |
| Coverage | Claims 50 states; per-service limits unpublished | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #278 | #285 |
Telos Rx
56/100Where the value is
- One ladder is published properly, and it is published the honest way: oral tirzepatide at $199/$129/$99/$49 for the first month with the standing $229/$159/$139/$129 printed beside it, so the step-up is visible before you buy
- Fees are itemised as waived rather than merely absent — visit fee $49→$0, shipping $25→$0, dose adjustments $0, 24/7 support $0, membership $0, and "Pay $0 if not approved"
- Flat pricing that does not rise as the dose is titrated, which is the single most common way a cheap first month becomes an expensive fourth one
The tradeoffs
- The injectable rung tables are not public at all — those cards read "Start your intake for pricing", so the $99 semaglutide and $139 tirzepatide on the marketing pages are first-month floors on the deepest prepay plan with no standing rate published anywhere
- Its own pages disagree: /pages/oral-tirzepatide advertises "as low as $129/month" while the gender landers price the same 12-month plan at $49 first month and $129 after, so the headline is the post-intro rate of a plan the headline does not mention
Elara MD
58/100Where the value is
- Dose-banded monthly pricing published on-site ($249–$649/mo across tiers)
- Both a semaglutide-range and a tirzepatide-range (GLP-1/GIP) option, plus microdosing
- Medication included in the monthly price with free fast shipping when prescribed
The tradeoffs
- Molecules not named on-site (only 'Personalized GLP-1') — compounded status is inferred
- No FDA compounded-medication disclaimer published
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.