How we choose the Editor's Top Five

Two lists, two different jobs

We publish two ordered lists of GLP-1 telehealth providers, and we keep them clearly separate so readers can tell which is which:

1. The 2026 Provider Rankings (the full table on our homepage and at /) is methodology-sorted. Each provider receives a score computed from a five-axis rubric — cost & pricing transparency (25%), clinical support quality (25%), medication options (20%), user experience (15%), and insurance & accessibility (15%). The ranking is the order of those scores, descending. The full rubric and evidence behind each score live in our editorial policy and a public scoring registry in the repo. Affiliate status never affects the methodology score; that integrity firewall is enforced in the build itself by a script that recomputes every score from evidence flags and fails the build if a verified provider drifts from its computed score.
2. The Editor's Top Five (the carousel-style cards on the homepage) is editorial, not methodology-sorted. It's a human-curated shortlist of five providers we actively recommend as starting points, chosen on the criteria below.

A reader gets both: the curated shortlist for “just tell me what to look at first” intent, and the full methodology table for “show me the data so I can decide for myself” intent. Every Editor's Top Five pick also appears in the full ranking at its score-earned position — we don't move them up the methodology table.

How we curate the five

Every pick must clear all of these criteria. None of them is negotiable; if a provider fails any one, it doesn't make the list regardless of payout.

• Score ≥ 7.0 on the published methodology.A provider that doesn't clear the floor doesn't make the list, even if the affiliate relationship would be lucrative.
• Active affiliate partner on the Katalys network. We're honest that this is a list optimized for active monetization. We label it as such and disclose it on every page.
• A named clinician on record OR a verified compounding pharmacy partner. Without one of these two, we can't recommend a provider to a first-time reader, regardless of price.
• Public, all-in pricing.No “starting at” teaser prices that climb on titration. No hidden labs or consultation fees. We disclose the actual price a reader will pay in month 6 of their protocol, not the month-1 promo price.
• A defensible niche or differentiator.If a provider doesn't serve a distinguishable use case (cash-pay flat-rate, insurance-friendly, oral GLP-1, etc.), they're a duplicate of a stronger pick and don't earn the slot.
• Rotated quarterly.The list isn't static. A pick that stops clearing the criteria above — drift in pricing, a clinician departure, a regulatory issue — gets demoted at the next quarterly review. Replacements come from the methodology table's top 10.

What earns a slot vs. what doesn't

What does:a higher affiliate payout, within the criteria above. A 7.5-rated provider that pays $260/conversion and has a named MD will beat a 7.5-rated provider that pays $40/conversion and has no clinician on record, because the higher-paying partner means we can keep the lights on and the other doesn't. This is the legitimate place for affiliate-economic considerations to play a role.

What doesn't: a higher affiliate payout alone, with no clinical, pricing, or differentiation defense. And — critically — a higher affiliate payout never moves a provider up the methodology score. Two different lists, two different rules.

The current five

• Eden Health GLP-1· Score 8.9 / 10 · $249/mo · Affiliate partner
  People with diabetes, heart conditions, or other risk factors who want a doctor (not a nurse) overseeing their GLP-1 — with blood panels included.
• Embody· Score 7.3 / 10 · $299/mo · Affiliate partner
  People who want the oral tirzepatide gum, or who'll pick the $299/mo flat plan with eyes open instead of the teaser plan
• Yucca Health· Score 7.7 / 10 · $146/mo · Affiliate partner
  People who'll commit to a 6-month plan for $146/mo, want named doctors on record, and like buy-now-pay-later flexibility (Klarna/Affirm/Afterpay)
• Gala· Score 7.2 / 10 · $149/mo · Affiliate partner
  Tirzepatide-first patients who want a low-cost compounded path (microdose $149/mo or full-dose $179-199/mo) plus a dedicated iOS + Android tracker app for daily progress logging
• SkinnyRx· Score 7.3 / 10 · $199/mo · Affiliate partner
  Users who want flexibility in compounded GLP-1 medication format (injectable, sublingual, or tablet) at a mid-tier price point

Disclosures

We earn commissions on sign-ups to the five providers above. The criteria we use to choose them are the criteria above — not the size of the commission. Read the full affiliate disclosure and editorial policy for the integrity firewall in detail.