Sesame Care review

Sesame Care is a national telehealth marketplace: you pick a named clinician from a long list, book a video visit, and pay a flat program fee. Its weight-loss program, Success by Sesame, prescribes only brand-name, FDA-approved medication: Wegovy (pen and pill), Zepbound (vial, KwikPen and pen), Foundayo, and diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro where appropriate. There is no compounded option.

That shapes the whole cost picture. You pay Sesame for care, and you pay a pharmacy (often the drugmaker's own self-pay pharmacy) for the medication. The two bills are separate.

How much does Sesame Care cost?

The care subscription. The "$59/mo" headline carries an asterisk: "Based on a 12-month Success by Sesame commitment." Sesame's FAQ lists four plans and states the savings for each against the $99 monthly rate. Here is what they work out to:

The month-to-month plan bills every 28 days, so it is 13 charges a year (about $1,287), not 12. The subscription covers video visits, unlimited messaging with your provider, ongoing care and lab work at Quest (more on labs below). Sesame also notes that "providers on Sesame set their own prices," so a few may charge more. You can ask support for an itemized bill to submit to an HSA or FSA.

The medication. These are the self-pay prices Sesame lists on its own pages when your prescription goes to the drugmaker's pharmacy:

Two cautions. First, Sesame does not set these prices. Lilly and Novo do, and they change them; Sesame's own pages do not always agree with each other or with the drugmakers' current lists. Treat the table as a starting point, and check our guide to TrumpRx, LillyDirect and NovoCare prices before you fill. Second, if you have insurance, your Sesame provider can handle prior-authorization paperwork, and Sesame says a covered Wegovy prescription can cost as little as $25 a month depending on your plan. Sesame itself does not bill insurance.

A realistic total: the annual plan plus the Wegovy pill at a starting dose runs about $208 a month. On the month-to-month plan with a Zepbound vial at 7.5 mg or above, budget roughly $548 per 28-day cycle.

What do you actually get?

A provider you choose. The weight-loss page lists dozens of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants by name and credential. You pick one, and that provider stays with you.

Video visits and messaging. The first visit is by video. After that, refills and questions go through messaging, so you are not booking a visit for every refill.

Labs. Your provider orders labs if metabolic data is needed. Sesame says 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.

Pharmacy choice. Prescriptions go to the pharmacy you choose for same-day pickup, or to home delivery, including the drugmakers' self-pay pharmacies for the lower cash prices.

App tools for logging doses, tracking weight, managing side effects and building sleep, exercise and diet habits.

What Sesame will not prescribe: controlled weight-loss drugs such as phentermine.

The weight-loss page displays a Trustpilot score of 4.5 out of 5.

Is Sesame Care a good fit for women with PCOS or in menopause?

This is where Sesame stands out. Beyond weight loss, it runs two separate women's subscriptions, each from $59 a month (medication extra):

• PCOS care (Sesame notes the condition has recently been renamed PMOS). Providers can order labs if you have no diagnosis yet, and the medication list includes birth control pills, spironolactone, medroxyprogesterone, metformin and semaglutide.
• Menopause care, including hormone therapy (estradiol, estrogen with progestin, progesterone, DHEA) and non-hormonal options such as gabapentin and clonidine. Prescriptions go to your local pharmacy.

These are separate programs, so a woman who wants a GLP-1 and HRT should ask whether one provider can manage both under one subscription, or whether she will be paying twice. Our guides to GLP-1s and PCOS and GLP-1s in perimenopause and menopause explain how these treatments fit together.

Sesame's safety section asks you to tell your provider if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy. If you take the pill, also read our guide to GLP-1s and birth control, since tirzepatide can make oral contraceptives less reliable.

How does starting work?

Step 1. Fill out a short questionnaire about your goals, then choose a provider.

Step 2. Meet by video. Your provider builds a plan and orders labs if needed. Sesame notes a prescription is never guaranteed.

Step 3. If you are prescribed medication, pick it up the same day or have it delivered. For the lowest cash price on brand-name drugs, ask for the prescription to go to the drugmaker's self-pay pharmacy.

Step 4. Ongoing care runs through messaging and follow-up video visits.

You do not need insurance. Sesame does not bill it, and federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid usually do not cover GLP-1s for weight loss.

What are the cancellation and refund terms?

• Full refund if you cancel at least three hours before your first visit.
• No refund for the first month once that visit has happened.
• Cancel anytime yourself. Cancel before the next billing date to avoid the next charge. Earlier fees are not refunded.

On a prepaid plan, that last rule matters: the whole six or twelve months is collected up front, and the FAQ describes no refund for unused months. Start on the 3-month plan if you are not sure.

Who is Sesame Care for?

It suits a woman who wants brand-name medication only, likes choosing her own clinician by name, wants labs included, and may also want PCOS or menopause care from the same company. It also suits women with insurance who need help with prior authorization.

Look elsewhere if you want one all-in monthly price, a compounded drug at a lower total cost, or a program that handles shipping and supplies for you.

Where it lands

Sesame is a well-organized way to reach brand-name GLP-1s through a clinician you choose, with labs and real women's-health programs alongside. Just add the two bills together: the subscription (every 28 days unless you prepay) plus the drugmaker's price for your dose. Do the math at the dose you expect to reach, not the starting dose. Our checklist for starting a GLP-1 safely walks through the first month.