Editorial standards are the written rules Wellchosen Health follows to source facts, date prices, rate providers and correct mistakes.
- Verdicts
- Clean, Use caution or Avoid
- Star ratings or scores
- None
- Paid reviews
- None
- Prices
- Each shown with the date checked and its source
- Corrections
- [email protected]
The verdict rule
We apply the same rule to every provider, whether or not it pays us:
| Verdict | When we use it | Affiliate link allowed? |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid | Any one of: an FDA warning letter whose cited claims are still live; a BBB rating of D or F; a pattern of billing or refund complaints; regulator or pharmacy action against the company or its pharmacy | No |
| Use caution | A past FDA warning letter whose cited claims have been fixed, plus a reasonable complaint record | Yes, with the flag shown on the page |
| Clean | None of these found | Yes |
| Not yet rated | We could not confirm enough, such as prices, the FDA record and the complaint history, to apply the rule | No |
How we check an FDA letter
We read the letter on fda.gov, list the claims FDA cited, then look for those claims on the company's current site and product images. If they are still there, the company is rated Avoid. Every letter we track is in our FDA warning letter tracker. To see how the rule plays out, compare the MedVi review, rated Avoid on its BBB F rating and also carrying an FDA letter, with the Direct Meds review, rated Use caution because the cited claims were not on its site when we checked.
Provisional verdicts
Sometimes a check cannot be finished, for example when a BBB profile has not been reviewed yet or a site cannot be read. Then the verdict is marked provisional, and the review says which check is pending. A provisional verdict can move in either direction when the check is done. Companies we could not assess at all are listed as not yet rated on the reviews page.
Not yet rated
When we cannot confirm enough about a company to apply the rule at all, such as its prices, its FDA record and its complaint history, the review says Not yet rated. We do not link to a company we have not rated, and we update the page once the checks are done.
Where our facts come from
- FDA: warning letters on fda.gov, drug labels on DailyMed and accessdata.fda.gov, and FDA safety notices.
- Complaint records: Better Business Bureau profiles, including the rating, complaint counts and response rate.
- Legal records: court filings, FTC actions, state regulator and board actions, and advertising rulings.
- Prices: companies' own pricing pages and checkout pages, and drugmakers' self-pay pages such as LillyDirect and NovoCare.
- Health and coverage data: CMS, CDC, the Census Bureau, KFF, and peer-reviewed trials.
We cite sources inline with numbered links. When two sources disagree, we use the primary source and note the conflict; we do not average numbers. Reviews from other consumer sites may point us to an issue, but we confirm it from the record before we publish it.
How we date prices
Every price shows the date we checked it and where it came from. We also list what the price includes and what it leaves out: visit fees, lab work, memberships, shipping, dose step-ups and minimum terms. Prices change often, so treat any price as correct on its checked date, then confirm it with the seller before you pay, as our terms of use also say. Our GLP-1 cost tracker shows how this works across many sellers.
What we do not publish
- Star ratings, numeric scores or "best overall" badges.
- Paid reviews, or reviews a company has seen or approved before publication.
- Testimonials, patient stories, or invented clinicians, credentials or photos.
- Claims that a treatment will work for you. We report trial results as averages.
- Mixing, reconstitution or dosing instructions beyond the FDA label.
Corrections
If you find an error, email [email protected] with the page address, what is wrong and a source if you have one. We check it against the primary record. When we fix a factual error, we update the page and its date. If a correction changes a verdict, the review says what changed and why.
Independence
Affiliate commissions and Sponsored placements pay for the site. Neither can buy a verdict, a ranking or a change to a review. The full rules are on how we make money, and the limits on medical review are on our medical review policy. Who we are and how to reach us is on our about page.
Questions people ask
How does Wellchosen Health decide a provider is rated Avoid?
A provider is rated Avoid if any one of these is true: it has an FDA warning letter whose cited claims are still live, a BBB rating of D or F, a pattern of billing or refund complaints, or regulator or pharmacy action against it. Avoid-rated providers never get affiliate links.
What is the difference between Use caution and Clean?
Use caution means the company received an FDA warning letter in the past, has since fixed the cited claims and has a reasonable complaint record. Clean means we found no FDA letter, no BBB D or F rating, no complaint pattern and no regulator action.
Why doesn't Wellchosen Health use star ratings?
A star score mixes price, convenience and safety into one number and hides the reason behind it. Our verdicts follow a written rule, and each review states the specific letter, rating or complaint record that set it.
How current are the prices on Wellchosen Health?
Each price carries the date we checked it and a link to its source. Prices change often, so confirm the current price with the seller before you pay.
Can a provider see or change its review before it is published?
No. Providers do not preview, approve or edit reviews. If a provider shows us a factual error, we check it against the record and correct the page if the record supports it.
How do I report an error?
Email [email protected] with the page address, the error and a source. We check it against the primary record and, if it is wrong, update the page and its date.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own care.