Last April, Costco made headlines when it introduced its brand-new weight loss program, which was launched in partnership with the online telemedicine platform Sesame. Costco members who signed up through the Sesame marketplace could access a three-month subscription at the discounted price of $179 (or $60 per month). The subscription also offered patients individualized clinical consultations, weight loss prescriptions (including GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy) and nutritional guides and recommendations.
“We are witnessing important innovations in medically supervised weight loss,” said David Goldhill, Sesame‘s co-founder and CEO, in a 2024 press release. “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.”
On August 26, 2024, though, Sesame shuttered its discounted weight loss program, saying it will no longer accept new enrollments. “Existing enrollees will be able to continue their membership with no changes to their benefits,” the platform said on its company website.
Costco members can still receive weight loss management assistance through Sesame, although with no discount. Sesame offers two plans for patients with or without insurance. For patients with insurance, Sesame’s Success by Sesame $89/month option offers assistance with insurance paperwork to reduce the cost of medication. The plan also doesn’t include medication cost in the final pricing and instead allows patients to pick up their medication prescription at the pharmacy or choose home-delivery options.
For patients who don't have insurance, Sesame offers a $249/month option, which includes four pre-measured injectable syringes of compounded semaglutide per month, along with medication supplied from a registered 503B pharmacy.
According to Sesame, its $249/month plan is the cheapest option compared to hims/hers' plan (which starts at $399/month) and Ro's (which starts at $444/month).
