[Canada] Canada telehealth recommendations?

Ontario member trying to sort out coverage and sourcing. Would love to hear how others in Canada are managing it.

In BC here, so different paperwork, but the provincial/private coverage split drove me nuts too. What worked for me was asking the telehealth provider directly which pharmacies they actually ship from, since stock seems to vary a lot by province. Down 50-some lbs along the way and never would've stuck with it without sorting the sourcing headache first.

Ontario folks gave good info — the exception paperwork angle seems to be the common thread. I'm in the US so insurance works differently here, but my Ozempic took a prior auth fight before it went through, so don't give up after the first denial. 41 lbs down so far, the persistence paid off.

I'm in BC so coverage rules differ a bit, but I went the telehealth route after my pharmacy quote made me choke. Down 21 lbs since starting, so worth the legwork for me. Hoping an Ontario person chimes in on the private insurance side since that seems to be where it gets messy.

I'm in BC so can't speak to Ontario plans, but I found asking my telehealth provider directly about private coverage paperwork made a difference. Down 14 lbs since starting and the sourcing part stressed me out way more than the actual routine ever did.

Ontario here too - I ended up going through a telehealth service after my plan wouldn't touch it, and it's been fine. Down about 12 lbs since starting, so the sourcing headache was worth pushing through. The moving target thing on coverage is real, seems to depend who you ask that week.

Ontario here is rough for coverage from what friends up north tell me - my work plan in Iowa covered Saxenda but it took a prior auth fight. Down 41 lbs on it now, so worth the paperwork hassle if you can get it approved.

Ontario here too -- I went the telehealth route last spring and my coverage was a headache until my plan's exception paperwork went through, but worth the hassle. Down 24 lbs since I started. I've found wait times for the initial consult have gotten longer lately, so expect that.

Ontario here too, went the telehealth route last spring since my private plan wouldn't touch it. The virtual visit itself was quick, main hurdle was pharmacy stock fluctuating month to month, so I learned to call ahead before refilling. Down 11 lbs since starting, so it's been worth the hassle.

Ontario here too - I went the telehealth route last year and it's been smooth enough, though refills sometimes took an extra week when supply got tight. Down 35 lbs so far and honestly the hardest part was just sorting the paperwork at the start. If you're covered through work benefits it's worth calling them directly to ask what they'll actually pay for before you commit to a clinic.

Ontario here too - I went through a telehealth provider after my plan wouldn't cover it, and it's been fine, down 9 lbs since starting. The paperwork for reimbursement was the annoying part, so ask any service upfront what documentation they give you. Happy to share more about my experience if it helps.

Ontario here too, went the telehealth route after my plan denied coverage twice. Down 17 lbs since spring, though the pharmacy supply keeps coming and going. Hearing others found Telehealth Ontario-adjacent clinics helpful, but honestly the availability shifts week to week.

Ontario here too - I went the telehealth route and paid out of pocket for the first stretch since my plan wouldn't cover it, and my employer added it to the drug list this year after the paperwork. 76 lbs down since last fall, mostly slow and steady after the early drop. Curious if anyone else in ON has had luck getting private coverage to budge.

Ontario here as well — my plan initially denied it too, but the exception paperwork angle worked for me after a couple months of back and forth. Sitting around 15 lbs down so far, so the slow insurance grind was worth it in my case. Be prepared for the telehealth consult wait to be longer than you'd expect right now.

Ontario here too — went the private insurance route and got partial coverage after my doctor submitted it under the obesity indication, worth pushing on that if your plan covers weight meds at all. I ended up ordering peptides from the US myself, doing retatrutide at 2mg research-wise and down about 13 lbs so far, but the shipping and customs wait was the annoying part. Happy to share what the insurance submission looked like if it helps.

Ontario here as well, and the exception paperwork grind was the slowest part for me too. I'm down about 17 lbs since spring, mostly just from regular walks while I sorted out the plan stuff. The consult backlog seems real based on everyone's timelines.

Also Ontario, and the stock issue has been my whole experience too - I check in with a couple pharmacies a few days before each refill instead of waiting for the notification. Down about 15 lbs since fall and the work benefits call was the thing I dragged my feet on longest, wish I'd done it first.

Ontario as well, and echoing the pharmacy headache - I built a little rotation of three spots to call before each refill because relying on one place burned me more than once. Also second the benefits call thing, I put mine off for months and it took one conversation to sort out. Down about 60 lbs over the last year and change, so the admin hassle really does pay off eventually.

Saskatchewan here but same drill - I call my pharmacy the week before each refill because the stock swings caught me off guard twice early on. Also worth asking your pharmacist directly which strengths they can actually get, since that saved me a lot of back-and-forth. Down 58 lbs over the past year and a half, so the refill scramble ended up being the worst part.

Manitoba here, and the pharmacist tip is real - mine clued me in that one strength was way easier to source than the one I kept asking for, and that made refills way less stressful. I also skipped the whole runaround by asking my provider to send scripts to two pharmacies at once. Down about 74 lbs and honestly the calling-around was the hardest part of the whole thing.