Sesame review
Pick-your-clinician, cash-pay
A pick-your-clinician weight program at $99 a month, or $59 on an annual plan, prescribing brand-name GLP-1s only, with the drug billed separately from $149 a month.
Our verdict
Sesame's weight program, Success by Sesame, lets you choose a specific clinician from a large roster and stay with them. The price comes in two parts. Care costs $99 a month month-to-month, falling to $59 a month if you commit to a year, and covers video visits, messaging and most lab work. The medication is FDA-approved only and billed on top, from $149 a month for the Wegovy pill, $299 for Zepbound vials and $349 for Wegovy pens after an introductory period. There's no insurance billing for the program, though your plan may still pay for the drug. Two cautions: clinicians on Sesame can set their own prices, and the first month isn't refundable once your first visit happens.
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At a glance
- Category
- GLP-1 telehealth
- Access
- Program subscription $99 billed every 28 days, or $59/mo on an annual plan; brand-name GLP-1 medication billed separately, from $149/mo
- Medications
- Branded
- Insurance
- Cash-pay, no insurance
- Visit
- Video visit
Partner alternative
Enhance MD
Lab-guided treatment under ongoing physician oversight
Check Enhance MD availability →What it is
Sesame is a cash-pay telehealth marketplace where patients book clinicians directly at upfront prices, with general visits from $34 and more than 10,000 providers by its count. For weight loss it runs Success by Sesame, a subscription program in which you choose a clinician, meet by video and get ongoing care, with medication prescribed if appropriate and paid for separately. The roster on its program page lists dozens of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants by name, so you can look up the person before you book. Sesame doesn't bill health insurance for the program, which keeps its prices fixed and visible.
How it works
You fill out a short questionnaire, choose your provider and meet them on a video consult, where they review your history and order a lab test if they need metabolic data. The subscription covers lab work at Quest Diagnostics, except in Arizona, Hawaii, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wyoming, where you pay the lab yourself. If medication is prescribed, you can pick it up the same day at a local pharmacy or have it delivered. Ongoing care runs through video visits, unlimited messaging with your provider, and app tools for logging doses, managing side effects, and tracking weight, sleep, exercise and diet. Clinicians on Sesame don't prescribe controlled weight-loss drugs such as phentermine. Because you're choosing an individual clinician rather than joining a house program, the experience depends more on who you pick, so read the provider's profile and reviews first. Candidates are adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition, and Sesame lists the usual exclusions, including a history of pancreatitis, medullary thyroid cancer, MEN2 or type 1 diabetes.
Pricing transparency
The care subscription and the medication are billed separately. Care is $99 a month on the month-to-month plan, and Sesame's commitment tiers cut that: $60 off every three months, $180 off every six months, or $59 a month on the annual plan, a $480 saving over a year. Prepaid plans are billed up front. Sesame's FAQ describes month-to-month billing as both "every month" and "every 28 days"; if it's every 28 days, that is 13 charges a year, so check the renewal date at checkout. Medication is billed by the pharmacy at the drug's cash price. Sesame lists the Wegovy pill from $149 a month and Zepbound vials at $299, with Zepbound KwikPens at $1,086. Under manufacturer offers that run through December 2026, Wegovy and Ozempic pens cost $199 a month for the first two months at the starting doses, then $349 a month (Ozempic 2 mg is $499), and Foundayo runs from $149 at the lowest doses to $349 at the top ones. So a realistic month on the Wegovy pen is about $448 on the monthly care plan, or about $408 on the annual plan. Sesame warns that providers set their own prices and some may charge more for the program. HSA and FSA reimbursement is possible with an itemized bill. Cancel the subscription yourself before the next billing cycle; earlier months aren't refunded, and you get a full refund only if you cancel at least three hours before your first visit.
Branded vs compounded
FDA-approved medication only: the Wegovy pill and pen, including the higher-dose Wegovy HD, Zepbound as vials or KwikPens, and the daily Foundayo (orforglipron) pill, plus diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro where appropriate. Sesame states that compounded semaglutide "is not currently available through Sesame." That keeps the dosing to the approved labels, and it keeps the price at brand-name levels, which is where the manufacturer self-pay offers listed above matter. If you have coverage, your provider will handle the prior-authorization paperwork, though Sesame notes that Medicare and Medicaid typically don't cover GLP-1s for weight loss.
Pros and watch-outs
What we like
- Choose your own clinician from a named roster, and stay with them
- FDA-approved medication only, including two daily pills
- Lab work included in most states; same-day local pharmacy pickup possible
- Care drops to $59 a month on an annual plan
- Manufacturer self-pay prices are spelled out dose by dose
Watch-outs
- Medication is billed on top of the care subscription
- The cheapest care rate needs a year's commitment, and monthly billing may run every 28 days
- Clinicians can set their own prices, so the program fee can be higher with some
- No refund for the first month once your initial visit has happened
- No compounded option and no insurance billing for the program
Best for
People who want to choose their own clinician and stay on FDA-approved GLP-1s, paying cash for the care and using manufacturer prices or insurance for the drug.
Who should look elsewhere
Anyone who wants compounded medication, insurance billing for visits, or one price with the drug bundled in.
The evidence behind what Sesame prescribes
We grade the molecules, not the marketing. Here is what the human data actually shows for each thing on their menu.
- The Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg): what OASIS 4 actually showed
The first oral GLP-1 approved for weight loss — and why the −16.6% everyone quotes is not the trial's primary result.
- Orforglipron: the oral non-peptide GLP-1, and what the trials actually show
A once-daily small-molecule GLP-1 pill with no food restrictions — from Phase 2 proof of concept to the Phase 3 read-outs. The evidence, graded.
- What the semaglutide weight-loss trials actually showed
STEP 1, STEP 4, and SELECT — the efficacy, the rebound, and the cardiovascular signal, read straight from the primary literature.
- Tirzepatide vs semaglutide for weight loss: what the trials actually support
Most comparisons are cross-trial. Only SURPASS-2 and SURMOUNT-5 randomized one drug against the other — here's the precise distinction.
How Sesame compares
A few alternatives worth a look, depending on what you’re optimizing for.
FoundCompounded GLP-1 with the drug included, and insurance for the visits
See Found →
Live VitalPairing a GLP-1 with a wider peptide and longevity protocol
See Live Vital →
Henry MedsSimple flat-fee compounded access without insurance
See Henry Meds →
More GLP-1 telehealth reviews: FeelGoodRxSpan MDTrimi HealthTelos RXRoHims
Access & cost
How we assessed this. This review reflects Aminoscope’s own read of Sesame’s publicly-stated model — pricing transparency, clinical oversight, medication clarity, and access — against our editorial methodology. We publish no fabricated ratings or first-hand outcomes. A partnership never changes the assessment — see how we make money.
Frequently asked
- How much does Sesame's weight-loss program cost?
- Care costs $99 a month month-to-month, or less on prepaid plans, down to $59 a month on an annual plan. Medication is billed separately: Sesame lists the Wegovy pill from $149 a month, Zepbound vials at $299, and Wegovy pens at $199 for the first two months, then $349. A month on the Wegovy pen therefore comes to about $448 on the monthly care plan.
- Does Sesame offer branded or compounded GLP-1?
- Branded only. Sesame's weight-loss program prescribes FDA-approved options such as Wegovy (pen or pill), Zepbound and Foundayo, and it states that compounded semaglutide isn't currently available through Sesame.
- Does Sesame take insurance?
- Sesame doesn't bill insurance for its program; you pay cash for the care. If you have coverage, your plan may still pay for the medication, and your Sesame provider can handle the prior-authorization paperwork. HSA and FSA reimbursement may be possible with an itemized bill from Sesame.
- What is Sesame's refund policy?
- You get a full refund if you cancel at least three hours before your first visit. Once that visit has happened, the first month isn't refundable. You can cancel the subscription yourself at any time, but you must do it before the next billing cycle starts, and fees for earlier months aren't refunded.
- Are labs included?
- Yes, in most states. The subscription covers lab work done at Quest Diagnostics, except in Arizona, Hawaii, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wyoming, where any lab fees are extra.
- Is Sesame legit?
- Sesame is a GLP-1 telehealth service you reach through a video visit with a clinician. The medications it names are branded medication. What it publishes up front: Program subscription $99 billed every 28 days, or $59/mo on an annual plan; brand-name GLP-1 medication billed separately, from $149/mo. It is cash-pay and states it does not bill insurance. Before you pay, ask in writing about which states it serves and a single monthly price you can check before an intake.