Telehealth platforms have revolutionized access to healthcare, including weight loss treatments. Companies like Ro and Hims offer convenient online consultations and prescriptions for weight loss medications, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists. This article provides a detailed comparison of Ro and Hims weight loss programs, including medication options, program features, costs, and customer experiences, to help you determine the best fit for your individual needs and goals. This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or endorsement of one brand over another.
Overview of Hims and Ro
Hims and Ro are telehealth companies that provide access to various health services, including weight loss programs. Hims offers a wider range of treatments, including both oral medications and injectables, while Ro focuses exclusively on injectable GLP-1 medications. Both platforms require an online consultation with a healthcare provider who will assess your medical history and determine if you are a suitable candidate for prescription weight loss medications.
Weight Loss Medications Offered
Hims
Hims offers a variety of weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 injections and oral medications:
GLP-1 Injections:
- Compounded semaglutide: A weekly injection with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy. It is generally prescribed to accommodate personalized dosing requirements or allergies, because it hasn’t been approved by the FDA.
- Wegovy®: Contains semaglutide and is approved by the FDA for weight loss in individuals with obesity or overweight with related health conditions.
- Ozempic: Contains semaglutide and is approved for type 2 diabetes. It's also prescribed off-label for weight management.
- Zepbound: A once-weekly injection for weight loss that’s FDA-approved, and has the active ingredient tirzepatide.
- Mounjaro: Also contains tirzepatide and is a once-weekly injection. It’s FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes but can be prescribed off-label for weight management.
- Generic liraglutide: Administered daily and may help with weight management. It is the active ingredient in Saxenda, which is FDA-approved for managing weight in people with obesity.
Oral Medications:
Hims offers personalized weight loss kits that include a combination of medications, such as:
- Naltrexone: May reduce alcohol and opioid cravings.
- Metformin: Approved for type 2 diabetes; can also help with gestational diabetes and weight management.
- Topiramate: An anticonvulsant that can suppress appetite.
- Bupropion: An antidepressant that may support weight loss by working on the brain’s reward system.
Certain kits might also come with vitamin B12 for extra energy support.
Read also: Losing Weight Safely While Nursing
Ro
Ro focuses exclusively on injectable weight loss medications:
- Zepbound®
- Ozempic®
- Wegovy®
Ro also offers access to Zepbound at a slightly reduced self-pay cost.
Program Features and Support
Hims
The Hims platform offers various tools and resources to support your weight loss journey:
- Progress, food, water, and activity trackers
- Meal plans, nutrition guidance, and 100+ recipes developed with nutritionists
- Personalized tips and tools based on your eating patterns
- Science-backed techniques developed by psychologists to help with sleep and mindset
- Unlimited, 24/7 access to licensed providers trained in weight management
- Scheduled monthly check-ins to track progress and adjust treatment
- 100% online asynchronous provider experience
- An app with educational wellness content and a weight tracker feature
Ro
Ro's program includes:
- Personal coaching from a dedicated health coach
- A metabolic lab test through Quest (or an at-home collection kit for an additional fee)
- Ongoing support from a healthcare professional, including up to 24 video sessions per year
- A step-by-step online curriculum to help you build healthy habits, with lessons focused on nutrition, sleep, emotional health, and exercise
- Insurance concierge services to help determine whether any prescribed medications may be covered by insurance
- Access to providers: Most check-ins and weight management coaching are handled through text chat, but you can also have video consultations with healthcare professionals if you prefer.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
Hims
- No membership fees
- Oral medication kits starting from $69/month with a 10-month plan paid upfront in full
- Compounded semaglutide starting from $199/month for a 6-month plan paid upfront in full
- Typically FSA and HSA eligible, but coverage varies by plan provider
- No insurance required
- Several subscription model options
- Same pricing for all medication doses
- Initial consultation included in the cost of treatment
Ro
- Initial consultation and unlimited provider check-ins included in cost of treatment
- First month of membership is $45 (with a $100 discount)
- Ongoing membership costs $145 a month
- Usually FSA and HSA eligible
- Weight loss medications starting from $349
- Possible fees for metabolic testing
- Ro’s at-home testing kits are $75.
- GLP-1 medications typically range from $349 to $1,700 a month with Ro.
Intake Process
Hims
Hims offers a 100% online and asynchronous provider experience, meaning video calls are not required in most states.
Read also: Best Nuts for Keto
Ro
The intake process is mostly online, but metabolic testing may be needed. No video call is necessary unless state law requires it.
Potential for Weight Loss
Both Hims and Ro offer access to GLP-1 injections like Wegovy®, which clinical studies show can support meaningful and lasting weight loss when combined with healthy lifestyle changes. In one clinical trial, participants taking a semaglutide dose equivalent to that in Wegovy® lost about 20% of their body weight over a year. Tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound) has also been linked with supporting significant weight loss in Eli Lilly-sponsored clinical trials.
Hims also offers prescription oral weight loss kits tailored to each person’s specific needs and health goals. Their effectiveness may vary depending on which medications you’re prescribed.
Customer Reviews and Experiences
Customer reviews for both Ro and Hims are mixed. Some customers praise the convenience, affordability, and responsive customer service, while others report issues with pricing transparency, delivery problems, and difficulty canceling subscriptions.
Safety Considerations
Compounded Medications
It's essential to exercise caution when considering compounded medications. Compounded drug products are not approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA.
Read also: Is Rice Water Good for Weight Loss?
FDA Recommendations
The FDA recommends that compounded drugs should only be used when a patient's medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved drug. Patients should obtain a prescription from their doctor and fill it at a state-licensed pharmacy.
Potential Risks
The FDA has identified concerns about compounded GLP-1 drugs, including improper storage during shipping and the use of salt forms of semaglutide. There have also been reports of adverse events related to compounded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide.
Counterfeit Drugs
The FDA monitors the internet for fraudulent or unapproved drugs and has issued warning letters to stop the distribution of illegally marketed semaglutide and tirzepatide. These illegally marketed drugs may be counterfeit, contain the wrong ingredients or harmful ingredients, or contain too little, too much, or no active ingredient.