SharpyCounsel Health GLP-1: $300 a Year Program on LillyDirect
On October 27, 2026, Counsel Health launched a weight management program you can reach directly or through LillyDirect. It costs $300 a year (about $25 a month) for unlimited doctor visits, or $29 a visit with no membership, and its doctors can prescribe Zepbound, Wegovy or Foundayo when they think it fits. The fee does not include the medicine, it is self-pay only, and it runs in the 44 states where Counsel is licensed. Once you have a prescription, Sharpy helps you hit a daily protein target and do a 20-minute workout so the weight you lose is fat, not muscle.
What is the Counsel Health GLP-1 program, and is it worth $300? Counsel Health is a telehealth company that, on October 27, 2026, launched a weight management program available directly or through LillyDirect, Eli Lilly's direct-to-patient platform. Membership is $300 a year for unlimited doctor visits, or you can pay $29 per visit. Its doctors can prescribe Zepbound, Wegovy or the Foundayo pill when they judge it right for you. The medicine itself costs extra.
The pitch is simple: cheap, fast doctor access, plus follow-up after the first prescription. Below is what you get, what you still pay, and how it stacks up against the other doctors on LillyDirect.
How much does Counsel Health cost for GLP-1?
There are two ways to pay, per the launch reports and Lilly's provider list:
| Option | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Counsel Signature annual membership | $300 a year (about $25 a month, billed yearly) | Unlimited on-demand doctor visits for weight, primary care and urgent care |
| Pay per visit | $29 a visit | One doctor visit, no ongoing commitment |
| Counsel medical AI | Free | Chat any time; checks in on progress and side effects |
| Medicine | Not included | Paid to the pharmacy, with insurance or self-pay |
Insurance is not accepted for Counsel's visits. Lilly's page lists it as self-pay only. Lab tests, if your doctor orders them, may also cost extra. Ask before you book.
What does the medicine cost on top?
This is the bigger number. Here are the LillyDirect and NovoCare self-pay prices we checked this week:
| Medicine | Self-pay price per month | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Foundayo pill, 0.8 mg and 2.5 mg | $149 | LillyDirect (2.5 mg price reduced through Dec 31, 2026) |
| Foundayo pill, 5.5 mg | $199 | LillyDirect (reduced through Dec 31, 2026) |
| Foundayo pill, 9 mg to 17.2 mg | $299 | LillyDirect (higher doses need a refill within 45 days) |
| Zepbound vial or KwikPen, 2.5 mg | $299 | LillyDirect |
| Zepbound, 5 mg | $399 | LillyDirect |
| Zepbound, 7.5 mg to 15 mg | $449 if you refill within 45 days | LillyDirect |
| Wegovy pen, 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg | $349 | NovoCare |
| Wegovy pill, 1.5 mg | $149 | NovoCare |
So a year of Counsel plus Zepbound at a maintenance dose is about $300 plus $449 a month. The doctor fee is the small part. If your insurance covers Zepbound, the Zepbound savings card can bring the copay as low as $25. See our LillyDirect Zepbound guide and NovoCare pharmacy guide for the full price lists and rules.
How does Counsel Health work with LillyDirect?
- Start on LillyDirect or Counsel's own site. On Lilly's obesity telehealth page, you pick Counsel and press "Schedule." You leave Lilly's site and go to Counsel.
- Chat first. Counsel's medical AI asks about your health history before a doctor joins. Lilly lists the average wait for a first visit at 15 minutes.
- Doctor evaluation. A board-certified Counsel physician reviews your case. They may prescribe, order labs, suggest another medicine, or say no.
- Fill the prescription. For Lilly drugs, LillyDirect offers home delivery or pickup at a local pharmacy. Wegovy goes through NovoCare or a regular pharmacy.
- Follow-up. The AI checks in on how you handle each dose step and flags stomach side effects, and members can see a doctor again any time. Counsel says its doctors also manage conditions that often come with obesity, like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and joint pain.
Counsel works in 44 states. Check that yours is one of them before you pay. Comparing telehealth routes? Our Hims Zepbound guide covers the new option to get Lilly medicine on Hims & Hers. If your order stalls after the visit, our LillyDirect phone number guide shows which Lilly or pharmacy line to call.
Counsel Health vs other LillyDirect telehealth providers
Lilly lists five independent providers. These are the fees each provider reported to Lilly, not counting medicine:
| Provider | Price | Insurance | Average wait for first visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counsel Health | $29 a visit, or $25 a month billed yearly | Self-pay only | 15 minutes |
| General Medicine | About $25 a visit with coverage; $30 self-pay chat | Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid | 12 hours |
| Sesame | $99 a month, or $59 a month billed yearly | Self-pay only | 1 hour |
| WeightWatchers | $149 a month, or $74 a month billed yearly | Self-pay | 2 days |
| knownwell | About $31 a visit with coverage; $299 self-pay | Commercial, Medicare | 2 days |
Counsel is the cheapest self-pay membership on the list and the fastest. If you want to use insurance or Medicare for visits, General Medicine or knownwell fit better. Lilly also says eligible Medicare Part D patients can use these providers to reach the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge.
Is a $300 GLP-1 program a good deal?
On price, yes. Many digital clinic memberships charge $99 to $149 a month before the medicine, according to HIT Consultant. Counsel's yearly plan is a fraction of that.
But keep three things in mind:
- No outcome data yet. No published study shows that Counsel's model helps people lose more weight, have fewer side effects or stay on treatment longer. The fast-access claims come from Counsel, which has a business interest here, as does Lilly.
- Brand-name only. Counsel's doctors prescribe FDA-approved drugs. That is a plus. The FDA has warned that compounded GLP-1s are not reviewed for safety or quality; see our compounded GLP-1 guide.
- The prescription is the easy part. Results depend on taking the drug as prescribed, handling side effects, and keeping muscle while you lose weight. Do not change or stop a dose without talking to your prescriber.
Protecting muscle once you start
Up to a third or more of the weight lost on GLP-1 drugs can come from lean mass in some studies, which is why protein and strength work matter. A doctor visit does not plan your meals or your workouts. Sharpy gives you one daily protein target, one 20-minute workout and a Shape Score, so you can see if you are losing fat, not muscle. Start with our protein target guide and our resistance training guide.
The bottom line
Counsel Health makes the doctor part of GLP-1 care cheap: $300 a year or $29 a visit, self-pay, in 44 states, with brand-name Zepbound, Wegovy or Foundayo when appropriate. The medicine is still the main cost, and the program is too new to have results data. If you go this route, pair the prescription with a plan for protein and strength. Sharpy is built for exactly that.
Sources
- HIT Consultant: Counsel Health launches AI-native weight management program with LillyDirect (Oct 27, 2026)
- Counsel Health release via Business Wire/Morningstar (Oct 27, 2026)
- Lilly: Telehealth for obesity (provider list and fees)
- LillyDirect: Foundayo self-pay prices
- Medical Daily: $300-a-year Counsel Health GLP-1 program (Oct 28, 2026)
- FDA: Concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss
Questions people ask
What is the Counsel Health GLP-1 program?
It is a weight management service from Counsel Health, a telehealth company, announced October 27, 2026. You start with a chat with Counsel's medical AI, then a doctor joins to evaluate you. The doctor may prescribe a GLP-1 medicine such as Zepbound, Wegovy or Foundayo if it is clinically appropriate, and you keep access to doctors and the AI for follow-up.
How much does Counsel Health cost for GLP-1?
Counsel charges $300 a year (about $25 a month, billed annually) for unlimited doctor visits, or $29 per visit with no membership. That fee covers the care only. The medicine is a separate cost, for example Zepbound vials from $299 a month or Foundayo from $149 a month self-pay on LillyDirect as of October 29, 2026.
Is Counsel Health on LillyDirect?
Yes. Lilly lists Counsel Health as one of five independent telehealth providers on its LillyDirect obesity telehealth page, next to General Medicine, Sesame, WeightWatchers and knownwell. Lilly says it does not endorse these providers, and each one decides on its own whether medicine is right for you.
Does Counsel Health take insurance?
No. Lilly's telehealth page lists Counsel as self-pay only. If you want your visits billed to insurance or Medicare, Lilly lists General Medicine and knownwell as providers that accept coverage.
Is Counsel Health legit?
Counsel is a real company run by physicians, founded by Dr. Muthu Alagappan, and Lilly lists it on LillyDirect. Its doctors prescribe FDA-approved brand-name drugs, not compounded versions. There is no published data yet on whether its approach helps people lose more weight or stay on treatment, so the speed and care claims come from the company itself.
Will Counsel Health always prescribe a GLP-1?
No. A visit does not guarantee a prescription. The doctor may order labs, suggest a different medicine, or decide a GLP-1 is not right for you. GLP-1 drugs are not for everyone, for example people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2.