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Tom’s Weight LossRankings
Brand-nameCompoundedNot tested · not scored

Houston Weight Loss Center

Houston Weight Loss Center, directed by John Bergeron, MD

A physician-directed Houston clinic where GLP-1 therapy begins with body composition analysis, lab work and a history review rather than a questionnaire. It publishes a cash-pay starting price of $149 a month for the oral GLP-1s, submits prior authorisations for insured patients at no charge, and points Medicare Part D patients to a bridge programme at $50 a month. Its pharmacy is a personally vetted Texas 503A.

Sources captured · researched by Tom

Medications offered

As listed on the provider’s own site. Whether a product is FDA-approved or compounded is the single most important distinction here — we explain why.

  • Orforglipron (oral GLP-1)FDA-approved
  • Oral semaglutideFDA-approved
  • GLP-1 weight loss medicationType not stated
  • Non-GLP-1 peptide therapiesCompounded · not FDA-approved

What they publish

Houston Weight Loss Center publishes 8 of 12 standard terms. Fields marked “not publicly disclosed” were not stated on the pages we captured, and we have not filled those gaps with assumptions. Compare disclosure across providers

Membership / programme fee
No membership published — described as transparent cash-based pricing with the exact cost depending on the programme and medication recommended, walked through at the first visit (as published)
Medication cost
Cash-pay published as starting at $149 per month for orforglipron and for the semaglutide pill. States both may be covered by prescription drug insurance, and that qualifying Medicare Part D patients may pay $50 per month through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Programme (as published)
Introductory offer
Not publicly disclosed on the pages we captured.
Insurance
States that if you have prescription drug coverage its team submits the prior authorisation on your behalf at no charge, with the physician or nurse practitioner providing the clinical documentation insurers require. Names the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Programme as a route for qualifying Part D patients.
HSA / FSA
Not publicly disclosed on the pages we captured.
Consultation process
Physician-directed care with one-to-one counselling, candidacy confirmed after body composition analysis, lab work and medical history review. Names the directing physician.
Eligibility
Publishes a threshold of a BMI of 25 or greater as potentially qualifying, with candidacy confirmed by a provider after body composition analysis, labs and history review.
Lab work
States lab work forms part of candidacy assessment alongside body composition analysis and medical history, and that peptide selection is based on individual lab work.
Pharmacy fulfilment
States medications and peptides are prepared by a personally vetted, Texas state-licensed 503A pharmacy. The pharmacy is not named.
Shipping
Not publicly disclosed on the pages we captured.
Support services
States one-to-one counselling plus an education library covering weight loss fundamentals, habit building, low-carb and keto guidance, meal plans and recipes, available between visits.
Cancellation
Cancellation terms were not published on the pages we captured.
Refunds
Refund terms were not published on the pages we captured.

What stands out

  • Files prior authorisations at no charge, with the clinician supplying the clinical documentation. Most cash-pay clinics will not touch insurance paperwork at all, and some charge for it.
  • Names the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Programme and a $50 monthly figure for qualifying Part D patients — a route very few providers in this directory mention.
  • Publishes a cash price for the oral GLP-1s including orforglipron, which is still rare.
  • Requires body composition analysis and lab work as part of candidacy rather than approving from a questionnaire.
  • Publishes an article distinguishing lawfully prescribed peptides from research-grade material sold online, and states most of what is sold online does not meet the legal conditions. That is accurate and directly against the interests of the wider peptide market.
  • A published BMI threshold of 25 is below the approved indications for the branded GLP-1s, which are 30, or 27 with a weight-related condition.
  • Programme pricing beyond the $149 oral figure is not published and is stated to be discussed at the first visit.

Questions to ask before you pay

These are things we could not settle from published pages, or that we think are easy to misread. Get answers in writing.

  • A BMI of 25 is below the FDA-approved threshold for these medications. What is the clinical justification in your case?
  • The $149 figure covers the oral medications. What do the injectables cost here?
  • If the prior authorisation is refused, what is the fallback and what does it cost?
  • Which Texas 503A pharmacy is used, and what does 'personally vetted' involve?
  • What does the body composition analysis and lab work cost, and is it repeated?
  • Is this practical outside the Houston area?

May suit

Someone in the Houston area who wants a physician-led assessment with real measurements, and help getting the medication covered rather than being pushed straight to cash-pay compounded product.

Limitations

  • Geographically centred on Houston.
  • Only the oral GLP-1 cash price is published.
  • The 503A pharmacy is not named.
  • No refund or cancellation terms published.
  • The published BMI floor of 25 sits below the approved indications.

Frequently asked

Will they help with insurance?

Yes — the clinic states that if you have prescription drug coverage, its team submits the prior authorisation on your behalf at no charge, with the physician or nurse practitioner providing the clinical documentation insurers require. It also names the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Programme, under which qualifying Part D patients may pay $50 a month. Both are worth more than most of the discounts advertised elsewhere in this directory.

What is orforglipron?

An oral GLP-1 receptor agonist from Eli Lilly for chronic weight management — a daily tablet that, unlike oral semaglutide, can be taken at any time of day with or without food. Houston Weight Loss Center publishes a cash-pay starting price of $149 a month for it and for the semaglutide pill. Very few providers here list it at all.

Do I need a BMI of 30?

The clinic publishes a threshold of 25 or greater as potentially qualifying, with candidacy confirmed after body composition analysis, labs and history. That is lower than the FDA-approved indications for Wegovy and Zepbound, which are a BMI of 30, or 27 with a weight-related condition. Body composition analysis gives a prescriber more to work with than BMI alone, but it is still a question to ask directly.

Sources

Captured . Pages change — check the current version before relying on anything here.

Worth comparing against

Brand-nameInsurance support

Health Express Clinics

Health Express Clinics, Lewisville, Texas

A physician-led Texas clinic that takes insurance and will prescribe the cheap old drugs as well as the new ones

Membership
No membership fee
Medication
Billed separately
Publishes7/12 terms
Brand-nameCompoundedInsurance support

Get Well Clinic

Get Well Clinic, Texas

Publishes a full cash price list for the whole clinic, names its pharmacy, and charges $50 a week

Membership
No membership fee
Medication
Included
Publishes7/12 terms

Texas Medical Weight Loss Clinic

Texas Medical Weight Loss Clinic

Clinic offering GLP-1 weight management

Membership
Not published
Medication
Not published
Publishes0/12 terms