Head-to-head dispatch
MDLive vs Sesame Care
Two GLP-1 providers, one scorecard. Both are graded on the same six Desk Score dimensions — here is how they stack up, and which one fits you.
Desk Score
MDLive (an Evernorth/Cigna company) is a large telehealth provider offering urgent care, primary care, dermatology and behavioral health.
Desk Score
An established national telehealth marketplace with the widest real brand-name GLP-1 access on the board — Wegovy (pen and pill), Zepbound, Ozempic and Mounjaro — plus provider-by-provider price transparency.
Sesame Care takes this head-to-head with the higher Desk Score, 87/100 (B+) against 55/100 (C) for MDLive. MDLive still holds its ground where its strengths line up with yours.
Desk Score, dimension by dimension
Same six measured dimensions for both. The red flag marks the stronger side. See the methodology.
MDLive
55/100
C
Sesame Care
87/100
B+
Price transparency
State access
Molecule range
Onboarding speed
Support responsiveness
Licensing & trust
The spec sheet
| Field | MDLive | Sesame Care |
|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide | Not disclosed | From $149/mo (brand Wegovy pill) |
| Tirzepatide | Not disclosed | Brand Zepbound (price varies) |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | Nationwide marketplace |
| Brand-name | Yes | Yes |
| Oral option | Injectable only | Yes |
| Best for | Readers who want insured or employer-covered patients wanting GLP-1s within full primary care. | Shoppers who want genuine FDA-approved brand-name GLP-1s and the ability to pick their own provider and see the price up front, rather than one fixed compounded program. |
| Desk Score | 55/100C | 87/100B+ |
The verdict
Desk pick — Sesame CareSesame Care takes this head-to-head with the higher Desk Score, 87/100 (B+) against 55/100 (C) for MDLive. MDLive still holds its ground where its strengths line up with yours.
Choose MDLive if…
Readers who want insured or employer-covered patients wanting GLP-1s within full primary care.
Not disclosed sema · Not disclosed tirz · Coverage not published
Choose Sesame Care if…
Shoppers who want genuine FDA-approved brand-name GLP-1s and the ability to pick their own provider and see the price up front, rather than one fixed compounded program.
From $149/mo (brand Wegovy pill) sema · Brand Zepbound (price varies) tirz · Nationwide marketplace
Assume any provider we list may compensate us — we may earn a referral commission at no extra cost to you, and what we file on a provider reads the same either way. Read full breakdowns: MDLive · Sesame Care.
Also on the board
CoreAge Rx tops every dispatch at 94/100
Whichever of these two you lean toward, the Desk's #1-rated provider outscores them both. The Desk's top dispatch: flat all-in pricing, both molecules, all 50 states — no teaser-rate traps.
More head-to-heads
- MDLive vs CoreAge Rx
- Sesame Care vs Vaylen
- MDLive vs Strut Health
- Sesame Care vs Ondra Health
- MDLive vs Invigor Medical
- Sesame Care vs Vytora Health
Or see the full comparison hub and the complete board.
Pricing and verification reflect each provider's public disclosures at last scoring; the Desk Score is our editorial judgment per the methodology. Prices change — confirm on each provider's own site. Not medical advice; see our disclosure.