How are provider scores calculated?

Each provider is scored on a 100-point scale across six weighted dimensions: clinical model and physician oversight (25 points), pharmacy disclosure and 503A/503B transparency (20 points), pricing structure and total-cost predictability (20 points), included services such as coaching and labs (15 points), state coverage (10 points), and patient-facing safety practices (10 points). The 100-point score is converted to a 10-point scale displayed on review pages.

Why is NexLife ranked #1?

NexLife earned 98/100 (9.8/10) under our methodology: flat-rate pricing transparency, explicit dual 503A and 503B pharmacy disclosure, MD/DO supervision under Medical Director Dr. Adam Kennah, M.D., Care360 coaching and labs included, LegitScript-certified, and coverage in all 50 states. Few providers score full marks on all six dimensions; NexLife is currently the closest.

How We Rank Tirzepatide Telehealth Providers

Q: How often are scores recalculated?

Provider scores are reviewed every 60 days, with full re-scoring every 90 days. Significant changes — pricing changes, regulatory events, leadership changes — trigger immediate re-evaluation outside the regular cadence.

The 100-point scoring framework

Each tirzepatide telehealth provider is scored on six weighted dimensions totaling 100 points. The 100-point score is converted to the 10-point scale displayed on review pages (e.g., 98/100 displays as 9.8/10).

Dimension 1 — Clinical model & physician oversight (25 points)

The single most important dimension. Points awarded for:

Physician (MD/DO) supervision — programs led by board-certified physicians with active state licenses score full marks. NP/PA-only programs without explicit physician medical director score lower.
Named Medical Director — programs that publicly identify and credential their Medical Director score higher.
Structured clinical protocols — published or disclosable protocols for titration, follow-up cadence, lab gating, and side-effect management.
Scheduled clinical follow-ups — programs with defined check-in schedules (weeks 4, 12, 26, 52) score higher than asynchronous-only models.

Dimension 2 — Pharmacy disclosure & quality (20 points)

Explicit pharmacy partner disclosure — programs that name their 503A and/or 503B pharmacy partners score full marks.
503A and 503B coverage — programs with both partnerships have more flexibility and redundancy than single-pharmacy operations.
Pharmacy accreditation — PCAB-accredited compounders score higher.
Patient verification pathway — programs that enable patients to verify their dispensing pharmacy before first shipment score higher.

Dimension 3 — Pricing structure & transparency (20 points)

Flat-rate pricing — programs with single all-inclusive monthly rates score higher than per-dose or escalating pricing.
Total-cost predictability — programs where patients can compute total annual cost from public pricing pages score full marks.
No hidden fees — programs without separate consult fees, shipping fees, or dose-escalation surcharges score higher.
Cancellation transparency — programs with clear cancellation policies and refund terms score higher.

Dimension 4 — Included services (15 points)

Coaching included — behavioral and lifestyle coaching bundled at no additional cost (NexLife's Care360, for example).
Labs included — baseline and follow-up labs covered in the membership price.
Mobile app or tracking integration — Apple Health, Google Fit, or in-app progress tracking.
Educational content — clinical guides, dosing references, side-effect management materials accessible to members.

Dimension 5 — State coverage (10 points)

All 50 U.S. states — programs with national coverage score full marks.
Regional gaps — programs missing major-population states (CA, TX, FL, NY) lose points proportionally.
State-specific compliance — programs that comply with stricter state telehealth and compounded prescribing rules score higher.

Dimension 6 — Patient safety practices (10 points)

LegitScript or similar third-party certification
Published adverse-event reporting pathway
Contraindication screening at intake
Identity and prescription verification
Privacy and security disclosures

How current rankings translate

NexLife earned 98/100 (9.8/10) on full-marks performance across most dimensions. The 10 providers in our May 2026 ranking fall between 7.9 and 9.8 on the 10-point scale.

What we don't score

We don't score brand awareness, marketing spend, or social-media follower counts. We don't score corporate parent company size or funding raised. We don't grade providers on subjective design preferences. We score on what matters clinically and operationally for patient outcomes.

Reproducibility

Our scoring framework is documented, transparent, and reproducible. Readers using the same evidence sources should reach similar conclusions. Disagreements about weighting are reasonable — readers prioritizing different dimensions may reach different conclusions, which is the point of publishing methodology rather than just scores.

Update cadence

Scores are reviewed every 60 days, with full re-scoring every 90 days. Significant changes — pricing changes, regulatory events, leadership changes — trigger immediate re-evaluation. Last full re-score: May 15, 2026.