Ro Health Review 2024: Pros, Cons, and Services Offered (2024)

Ro offers a range of services and products for sexual health, fertility, weight loss, and skin and hair health. While it doesn’t replace the need for a primary care physician, it offers a convenient, accessible way to access certain types of care.

Ro is a digital health platform that provides products and services to support sexual health, fertility, weight loss, and hair and skin health.

The platform connects people with healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurse practitioners, to get personalized treatment plans.

According to Ro’s website, the company also aims to bring transparency to healthcare by providing accurate and unbiased information and enabling people to make more informed decisions about their treatment options.

While Ro is designed to support your health needs from the comfort of your home, it isn’t intended to be used as a replacement for your primary care physician.

This article will take an in-depth look at Ro, including what it is, what products and services it offers, and who it may be a good fit for.

Ro is a direct-to-consumer telehealth company that offers a range of testing kits, prescriptions, and OTC products designed to address a variety of health issues.

After joining, you can complete a virtual visit with a licensed healthcare professional — such as a doctor or nurse practitioner — and receive a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs.

You can also get prescribed medications delivered directly to your door in as little as 2 days. These medications are sent from the company’s network of nationwide pharmacies.

Additionally, you can chat with a doctor, nurse, or coach on the Ro platform for free at any time to address any health concerns.

It’s important to note that Ro is not a replacement for speaking with your primary care physician or your medical care team. Instead, it is designed to provide complementary services to better support your health needs from home.

Ro offers a variety of prescription medications, OTC products, and at-home home testing kits.

Here is a brief look at some of the key products and services that Ro provides.

Prescription medications

After completing a free online visit, a healthcare professional will provide a personalized treatment plan, which may include prescription medications.

The price for your prescription can vary depending on the specific medication, dosage, and shipping frequency, as well as whether you choose to purchase generic or branded medications.

Ro prioritizes transparency by providing the price for each medication on its website, along with details on the safety and possible side effects.

This can range from as little as $13 per month for Drysol, which can help treat excessive sweating, up to $199 per month for Upneeq, a prescription eye drop that helps lift the upper eyelids for people with ptosis.

Note that prescription medications offered by Ro are not covered by health insurance.

Ro offers medications intended to treat a variety of health conditions, including:

• erectile dysfunction (ED)
• premature ejacul*tion
• cold sores
• genital herpes
• allergies
• vagin*l dryness
• hot flashes
• eczema
• dandruff
• hair loss
• excessive sweating
• weight management
• short lashes
• droopy eyelids (ptosis)
• low testosterone
• anxiety
• depression
• seasonal affective disorder
• nicotine withdrawal

Ro also offers birth control and prescription skin care regimens, which are customized based on your skin type and goals.

OTC products

In addition to providing prescription medications, Ro also offers some OTC products, which can be purchased without completing an online visit with a healthcare professional.

These include minoxidil, a topical product that can promote hair growth, and Roman Swipes, which are used for the treatment of premature ejacul*tion.

Additionally, Ro offers several supplements, including:

• Roman Daily: men’s multivitamin
• Testosterone Support: promotes healthy testosterone levels
• Stress Relief: helps manage stress levels
• Prostate Health: supports prostate health
• Modern Fertility Prenatal Multivitamin: provides essential nutrients for pregnancy
• Roman Life: promotes healthy cellular aging
• Roman Focus: supports calm energy, focus, and brain health

At the time of publication, OTC supplements range from $35–$54 per month, depending on the specific product and shipping frequency you select. Roman Swipes cost $22 per month for a quarterly (3-month) supply or $27 for a 1-month supply.

It’s important to note that many supplements on Ro’s website are not in full compliance with supplement guidelines established by the FDA (1).

Specifically, the company’s website makes several claims about the function and benefits of its supplements and the ingredients in them.

However, these claims are not accompanied by the required FDA disclaimer statement, which informs consumers that the claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and that the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Testing kits

Ro offers two testing kits intended to measure your testosterone levels or female fertility hormones, both of which include an at-home collection kit, free shipping, and a follow-up consultation with a healthcare professional.

The service also offers pregnancy and ovulation tests, along with a COVID-19 antigen testing kit, all of which provide fast and simple results right at home.

Here are brief descriptions of each kit along with current prices. Note that prices below are accurate at the time of publication and may vary.

Testosterone Evaluation Test

• Price: $69
• Includes: one at-home blood collection kit

This at-home kit requires two blood samples over 2 consecutive days. Live support is available, and you’ll be paired with a licensed Ro-affiliated healthcare professional to review your results and potential treatment options.

Modern Fertility Hormone Test

• Price: $179
• Includes: one at-home finger prick kit

This at-home fertility test kit looks at 2–7 hormones depending on your birth control method. You’ll receive customized reports about your fertility and have access to a fertility nurse.

Modern Fertility Pregnancy Test

• Price: $14, discounted rate available for subscriptions
• Includes: four urine tests

This kit comes with four at-home pregnancy tests that can be used as early as 6 days before your missed period.

Modern Fertility Ovulation Test

• Price: $16, discounted rate available for subscriptions
• Includes: 20 urine test strips

These test strips measure luteinizing hormone, or LH, levels in your urine to help identify your 2 most fertile days.

On/Go COVID-19 Antigen Test

• Price: $24
• Includes: two nasal swab tests

Appropriate for adults and children as young as age 2, this at-home COVID-19 test provides results within 10 minutes. Note that for kids under age 14, the test should be administered by an adult.

The Ro Body Program is a weight loss program that claims to help you lose an average of 15% of your body weight after 12 months.

It’s worth noting that the 15% weight loss claim does not come from a study of the Ro Body Program specifically. Instead, it’s based on the results of three clinical trials that combined a low calorie diet and exercise regimen with one of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medications offered through the Ro Body Progam (2, 3, 4).

These studies specifically looked at the effect of taking 2.4 milligrams of Wegovy (semaglutide) weekly for 68 weeks in participants without diabetes but with overweight or obesity.

Keep in mind that all three studies received funding from Novo Nordisk — the manufacturer of Wegovy — which means there’s a potential for bias and conflict of interest.

How the Ro Body Program works

The Ro Body Program includes the following:

• personal coaching from a dedicated health coach
• a smart scale that automatically syncs to your account to track your weight loss
• an at-home testing kit to evaluate your metabolism
• a step-by-step online curriculum to help you build healthy habits

More specifically, the curriculum provides tips and strategies to develop healthy habits to promote long-term, sustainable weight loss, with lessons focused on nutrition, sleep, emotional health, and exercise.

Some people may also be recommended prescription weight loss medications to support their weight loss efforts.

What you can eat

According to the company, instead of cutting out entire food groups, the Ro Body Program aims to help teach you to choose more nutritious options but also help you find a balance so that you can still enjoy your favorite foods.

GLP-1 medications

The program also includes access to prescription weight loss medications known as GLP-1 agonists, which are medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and have been shown to support weight loss (5).

These medications work by slowing the emptying of the stomach, increasing feelings of fullness, and decreasing hunger to help reduce food intake and support weight management (5, 6).

Ro prescribes two types of GLP-1 agonists, including Wegovy or Ozempic, both of which are self-administered, once-weekly injections that have been shown to increase weight loss and improve certain risk factors of heart disease (2, 7).

Wegovy was approved by the FDA in 2021 to be used specifically as a weight loss medication. However, while Ozempic has been shown to support weight loss, it’s meant for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (8).

You can learn more about Wegovy and Ozempic in our comprehensive guides.

Price

The Ro Body Program costs $99 for the first month, followed by $135 each month thereafter. Note that the cost of the program does not cover medications, which are billed separately.

The price of these medications can vary depending on your insurance coverage. However, Ro works with your insurance company to determine whether GLP-1 agonists are covered by your plan.

If the medications are not covered, you can cancel your membership or pay out of pocket for your prescription, which typically costs around $900–$1,600 per month.

Ro is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and currently holds an A- rating from the organization, which is based on factors like the company’s business practices, complaint history, and how long they have been operating.

All Ro healthcare professionals are licensed in the United States, and the company claims to perform a background check and license verification process for each professional.

Furthermore, members are able to view their healthcare professional’s resume, medical license, and credentials directly on the Ro platform.

Several of Ro’s supplement products failed Healthline’s vetting process due to noncompliance with FDA supplement labeling guidelines. Additionally, the company’s Roman Life product failed because the supplement facts label isn’t available on Ro’s website.

Customer reviews

Reviews for the company’s online pharmacy, Ro Pharmacy, are generally positive. On Trustpilot at the time of publication, the company has an average rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, which is based on 21 reviews.

Many reviewers report that the service is convenient and affordable. Some also note positive experiences with the company’s communication and customer service.

On the other hand, less favorable reviews on Trustpilot and the BBB mention dissatisfaction with the company’s return policy, issues with deliveries, and difficulties canceling recurring subscriptions.

In 2020, Ro was involved in a lawsuit regarding digital accessibility. In 2021, another lawsuit was filed against the company regarding unsolicited marketing text messages.

Additionally, in October 2021, 10 current and former employees of the company reached out anonymously to a journalist at Tech Crunch and detailed concerns regarding workplace culture and employee morale.

A few months later in 2022, two top executives left the company following reports of tension regarding issues with company culture.

Here is a closer look at how Ro compares with three similar telehealth services:

Ro can be an easy and cost-effective option for treating a range of health conditions.

It may be a good option for:

• adults with health issues that can be treated virtually and with services offered through Ro
• people living in rural areas with limited access to local healthcare professionals
• individuals seeking a fast, simple, and convenient way to refill certain prescriptions
• people with physical disabilities or limited access to transportation

On the other hand, Ro might not be suitable for:

• people under age 18
• individuals who haven’t seen a healthcare professional within the past 3 years
• people with chronic health issues that require more comprehensive care
• people who prefer in-person interactions with a healthcare professional
• people who would prefer a telehealth service that accepts their insurance
• people with health concerns that are not treated by Ro
• individuals experiencing serious injuries or medical emergencies
• people without internet access or with limited experience using technology

Are Ro services and products covered by insurance?

Ro services and products are not covered by insurance. However, some products may be eligible for FSA or HSA reimbursem*nt.

Is Ro legit?

Yes, Ro is a telehealth platform that is BBB accredited. The company provides virtual consultations with licensed U.S. healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurse practitioners, and offers personalized treatment plans designed to address a variety of health concerns.

Ro can be a convenient and cost-effective option for people interested in improving certain aspects of health or treating specific medical conditions without having to leave home.

In fact, the digital health platform offers a range of prescription medications, OTC products, and at-home testing kits designed to support fertility, skin and hair health, sexual wellness, and weight management.

However, it might not be a good option for everyone, including people with health conditions that require more comprehensive care, people who prefer in-person interactions with a healthcare professional, and those with limited experience using technology.

Furthermore, Ro should not be used as a replacement for a primary care physician or your medical care team.