Costco offering weight-loss drug prescriptions to members for $179 through healthcare partner Sesame
There is no need for Costco members to worry about inflating food court prices if they can cut out food cravings.
Costco has launched a subscription-based weight loss program for members and non-members of the nationwide wholesaler — which includes access to prescription weight-loss drugs.
The wholesaler announced on Tuesday that members will pay as low as $179 for a three-month subscription to utilize resources from their healthcare partner Sesame, according to a statement.
But never fear, non-Costco card holders — for only $195 per subscription period, non-members can enjoy all the benefits of the latter.
Sesame claims it’s the “most affordable weight loss program in the US.”
“We are witnessing important innovations in medically-supervised weight loss,” Sesame’s co-founder and CEO David Goldhill said in the statement.
“Sesame’s unique model allows us not only to make high-quality specialty care like weight loss much more accessible and affordable, but also to empower clinicians to create care plans that are specific to — and appropriate for — each individual patient.”
Once an account is made through Sesame and has been verified with a Costco membership, customers belonging to the wholesaler can expect things like choice in their clinician, three months of clinical consultation, video consultation with the clinician, a nutritional guide and recommendations, and an “individualized, clinically-appropriate treatment program.”
The weight-loss program also includes access to GLP-1 prescription weight-loss drugs that have been sweeping the nation but will be on a patient-to-patient basis.
Injectable semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy and other oral weight-loss medications will be available only if a provider from Seasame finds the customer to be an applicable candidate, according to the program.
According to the Seasame, patients could lose 5% of their body weight within three months, 10% in six months, and 15% in a year if they stick with their individualized programs.
The New York-based telehealth company said its clinicians will collect a “detailed medical history from each patient” to plan “appropriate diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications” for individual subscribers.
“When clinically appropriate, the clinician may also pair these interventions with medications, subject to their availability.”
While the focus may be on its offer of virtual care, the company also has some in-person care available.
Costco started offering customers visits with a primary care physician through Sesame in the fall for as low as $29 a visit.
However, the move to expand came after the two companies noticed that a majority of customers using the program were inquiring about help with losing weight.
“It wasn’t what we initially thought would make sense to offer for Costco members who were coming to Sesame,” Sesame’s other co-founder, Michael Botta, told CNN.
“But we realized pretty quickly, just by looking at what people were curious about, that there was a clear unmet need here,” he said.
Costco’s partnership with Sesame makes it the latest retailer to jump on remote access for third-party healthcare providers.
Amazon launched its remote healthcare platform, Amazon Clinic, in August, and Walmart offers in-store medical clinics for its customers.
