Is Push Health legit? How it works and what it costs

Push Health is a real US telehealth platform, but it works differently from most weight-loss programs. It is software that connects you with independent licensed prescribers, who set their own fees, and it sends any prescription to a pharmacy you pick [1] [3]. We found no FDA warning letter addressed to it, and its GLP-1 pages list only FDA-approved brand-name drugs.

How it works

• A platform, not a clinic. Patients connect with independent, licensed doctors and other providers through Push Health’s software [1]. Push Health says providers have used it since 2013 [2].
• Not a pharmacy. It does not sell or ship medicine. Prescriptions are routed to licensed US pharmacies, and you arrange the fill yourself [3].
• Where GLP-1 prescriptions go. The provider sends the prescription to a pharmacy or a drugmaker’s direct-to-patient program of your choice [4]. Its Zepbound page says Lilly’s LillyDirect program can be reached through Push Health [5].
• Speed. Most providers review a request within 24 hours, though it depends on the provider [6].
• Limits. Controlled weight-loss drugs such as phentermine and Qsymia cannot be prescribed there [7].

What you pay

This is the part that confuses people, because there is no single monthly price. You pay in separate pieces:

1. The service fee on Push Health. Fees run from $0 to a flat fee depending on the service, and a flat fee covers the provider’s professional fee plus a Push Health processing fee [8].
2. The provider’s own fee. Push Health tells providers they can charge whatever professional fee they think is right [9]. That is why two people can see different prices for what looks like the same service.
3. The medicine, at the pharmacy. Fees paid through Push Health are for the service only; you pay for the drug directly to the pharmacy [10]. For example, LillyDirect lists Zepbound self-pay prices starting at $299 a month [11].

You do not need insurance to use the service; it takes a credit card or PayPal [12]. On refunds, Push Health returns all fees if you cancel before the provider writes a prescription, and none once you approve a prescription [13].

To see what the medicine itself costs at each pharmacy and program, use our price comparison or all programs and prices.

What it prescribes for weight loss

Its GLP-1 page lists semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy) [14] and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) [15], and Foundayo has its own page. Not all of these are approved for weight loss: Ozempic’s FDA label, for example, is for blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes [17]. See what each GLP-1 is approved for.

On compounded drugs, Push Health’s own Ozempic page says compounded semaglutide is not FDA-approved and is not the same as branded Ozempic [16]. We did not find compounded GLP-1s offered on its pages.

What we checked

• FDA warning letters. When we searched the FDA’s warning letter database for this update, it returned no letter addressed to Push Health. We run that check because we do not link to companies with an FDA warning letter about GLP-1s.
• Its own claims. Push Health says it is certified by LegitScript, a company that reviews health websites [18].
• Its terms. Push Health’s terms of use and privacy policy are PDF files, which we do not download, so we have not reviewed them.

Push Health can suit you if you want a prescriber to send a brand-name prescription to LillyDirect, NovoCare or your local pharmacy and you are comfortable comparing provider fees yourself. If you want one all-in monthly price, a membership program may be simpler. You can read Push Health’s own answers on its FAQ page.

The closest figure Push Health publishes is general. Its support center says an initial consultation typically costs $64.99 to $80.00 in most states [19], in an article last updated in February 2022 [20]. It is not specific to GLP-1 visits and may be out of date, so check the price shown before you pay.