Counsel Health Debuts AI-Driven Weight Care Program Through LillyDirect in 44 States

What You Should Know

• Counsel Health has launched a dedicated weight management program that combines obesity medication with comprehensive primary care.
• As part of the rollout, Counsel Health is working with LillyDirect, Eli Lilly and Company’s direct-to-consumer digital pharmacy platform.
• The program comes amid a steep change in U.S. prescribing habits, with the share of American adults using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss rising to 11% in 2026 from 3% in 2024.

Whole-Person Primary Care Instead of Standalone Prescribing

Created by physician and former Notable Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Muthu Alagappan, Counsel Health says its model is built around the idea that obesity should not be treated as an isolated cosmetic issue. Because it often overlaps with metabolic and mechanical health problems, the company embeds weight management within a full primary care practice that follows patients over time.

• Broad Chronic Care Management: Instead of separating weight loss from the rest of care, Counsel’s board-certified physicians treat obesity alongside related conditions such as essential hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, and musculoskeletal joint pain.
• Supervised Medical AI and Fast Physician Access: In the 44 states where Counsel is licensed, the platform uses clinically supervised medical AI to check in on progress, monitor titration tolerance, and identify possible gastrointestinal side effects. Patients can ask the AI questions at any time at no cost or reach an in-house physician on demand, usually within minutes.
• Wider Medication Options: After digital intake and a full physician review, Counsel clinicians prescribe guideline-based therapies when appropriate, including injectable medications such as Zepbound® (tirzepatide) and Wegovy® (semaglutide), along with newer oral small-molecule treatments like Foundayo™ (orforglipron).

Dr. Muthu Alagappan said the company’s approach is centered on long-term care: “GLP-1s are powerful medications, but a prescription alone is not a care model. Patients managing obesity benefit from ongoing access to physicians who understand their health journey and take a holistic approach to primary care. We built Counsel to democratize this experience for millions of people.”

Challenging DTC Pricing With Cash-Pay Transparency and LillyDirect Integration

One major obstacle to ongoing cardiometabolic treatment is the high out-of-pocket cost of digital clinic memberships, which often fall between $99 and $149 a month before pharmacy charges are added. Counsel says its AI-native intake and triage system lowers clinician overhead and allows it to offer low-cost cash pricing aimed at encouraging long-term retention.

Counsel Signature Annual Membership costs $300 a year, or $25 a month, and includes unlimited on-demand access to Counsel physicians for both weight management and broader primary and urgent care needs. For people who want occasional support instead of a membership, the platform also offers a $29 per-visit option with no ongoing commitment.

Patients who come through the LillyDirect digital health portal can choose Counsel Health along with other virtual providers. The integration sends patients into Counsel’s chat-first clinical system, where they are connected with a physician in an average of 15 minutes to arrange evaluation, home delivery, or pickup at a local pharmacy.