Providers

How the Atlas handles providers

There is no provider directory on this site. The Atlas has no paid placements, no referral fees and no affiliate links, and it does not rate or rank any clinic, online service or pharmacy.

If that ever changes, the page you are reading will say so first, and every listing will state exactly how the Atlas is connected to it.

Kinds of care you will run into

Names overlap, so ask any provider which of these they are.

Your own clinician

A primary care doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant who already knows your history. Many can prescribe weight-loss medicines, and some refer to a specialist.

An obesity medicine or endocrinology clinic

A practice that focuses on weight and metabolic conditions. These tend to offer longer visits and follow-up.

An online service

A website that connects you with a licensed clinician by questionnaire, video or phone, and often with a pharmacy. The online service guide has the questions to ask.

A program through work or insurance

Some employers and insurers run programs with their own clinicians. Ask what the plan covers and what it does not.

A pharmacy

The pharmacy dispenses what was prescribed. The compounded versus brand-name guide explains why the source of the medicine matters.

Checks anyone can do

• Ask who will prescribe, what their license is, and whether it covers the state where you live. State licensing boards publish lookups you can use to confirm it.
• Ask whether you will have a live conversation or only a questionnaire review.
• Ask which exact medicine you would receive, who makes it, and whether it is the FDA-approved brand-name product or a compounded version.
• Ask for the total cost over the first six months, including visits, medicine, shipping and any renewal or cancellation terms. The paying for GLP-1 medicines guide shows how to compare.
• Ask how side effects are handled, who you contact outside office hours, and how often follow-up happens, including at dose increases.
• Ask how your health information is stored and shared, and whether records can go to your regular clinician.

Signs to slow down

These come from the Atlas's reading of the American College of Physicians guideline, which stresses a real discussion of history, harms and costs. They are not a rating of any company.

• No questions about your health history before a prescription.
• A promise of a specific amount of weight loss.
• Pressure to buy a long plan up front.
• Not telling you which medicine you would get, or who makes it.
• No clear way to reach a clinician after you start.

What is still unknown

• The Atlas has not found research comparing the quality of care across providers or online services.
• Compounding rules, prices and company practices change often, so check current information.