The Pill Club (now Favor) review: Is it trustworthy?

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Favor (formerly The Pill Club) provides consultations, prescriptions, and medications for people interested in birth control methods. It offers free delivery and different pricing plans for those with and without insurance.
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What is the Pill Club (Favor)?
The Pill Club, now known as Favor, is a digital healthcare company that offers reproductive health services, skin care, menstrual healthcare, and sexual wellness services for women.
Favor
The company changed its name from The Pill Club to Favor after expanding its service offerings to include skin care, menstrual care, and sexual wellness services. Previously, the company only offered reproductive healthcare services.
skin care
menstrual care
The company’s founder states that it aims to help individuals looking for birth control methods who cannot visit a doctor’s clinic. The company also provides health education and assistance to help people take control of their healthcare decisions.
birth control methods
The website says the company hopes to make healthcare more accessible and close gender, socioeconomic, and racial gaps in the healthcare system. It is accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
The company’s website requires people to fill out a health profile to connect with the medical team. Individuals can order their birth control or other prescriptions online and receive them in discreet packaging.
Favor offers its services to people living in 49 states and Washington, D.C. It accepts most health insurance and, in some states, Medicaid. The company also says it offers affordable services for those who are uninsured.
How it works
The products and services that Favor offers include birth control medications, emergency contraception, menstrual care products, and skin care products.
emergency contraception
skin care products
Favor offers both brand-name and generic medications. The website allows people to search by brand, active ingredient, or dose.
Some prescription birth control options that Favor’s doctors can prescribe include:
Yaz: a combination pill that can treat acne in people aged 14 years and older
acne
Camrese: a birth control pill brand similar to Seasonique, Ashlyna, and Daysee that may help reduce menstrual pain
Annovera: a vaginal birth control ring that a person inserts into their vagina for 3 weeks every month and removes it when they are menstruating
Refills are automated. A person’s insurance company determines how often they may receive refills. Some insurance companies only allow refills on a month-to-month basis. Favor can send up to a 3-month birth control supply at one time if insurance allows.
Insurance and pricing
Favor has different plans and pricing on birth control prescriptions for people who have an insurance plan and those who do not.
Favor accepts all major insurance plans, such as Medi-CAL and Family PACT. Customers can also pay for their birth control medication with the help of their health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
health savings accounts (HSAs)
flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
However, according to Favor’s website, some prescription medications may require a person to cover the copay, even if they have insurance. When ordering, the company will inform the person if a copay is due.
People who have an insurance plan receive the following:
virtual consultation and prescription services
follow-up appointments
free delivery and auto-refills
generic Plan B and female condom add-ons
Plan B
female condom
Customers without insurance can choose one of the following plans:
a 1-year supply of birth control medication, which costs $6.99 per pack
a 3-month supply of birth control medication, which costs $10.66 per pack
Additionally, online consultations, prescription services, free delivery, auto-refills, and ongoing care are available at an additional $15 per year for those without insurance.
Favor is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and it processes payments through Stripe. It also states that it uses industry-standard protection.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Stripe
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Pros and cons
no traditional doctor’s visits
free follow-ups
shipping available to 50 states in the U.S. and Washington, D.C.
potential shipping delays
unavailable for urgent orders or requests
company may not send order updates
Customer reviews
Favor has a review rating of 3.24 out of 5-star customer ratings on Better Business Bureau (BBB)’s website at the time of this writing. It also has an A+ rating, the highest available from the BBB, for its responsiveness to customer complaints and other factors.
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Reviews focus on the quality of Favor’s services and customer care. Individuals state that the company can be helpful for those with a busy schedule or who are attending college. Another positive reviewer’s note is that the orders ship on time.
Trustpilot’s customer reviews give Favor a 1.8 rating. People found the company convenient during the coronavirus pandemic, but some mentioned that they did not receive their pills on time. Some also had difficulty securing a refund.
Trustpilot’s
coronavirus
How to get started with Favor
Favor offers reproductive healthcare and skin care services. Individuals who sign up with Favor may obtain prescriptions for birth control, morning-after pills, acne medications, and more from licensed medical professionals and a licensed pharmacy.
acne medications
People can sign up for Favor on the company’s website. They will first provide information about their health through an online questionnaire.
Favor’s healthcare staff reviews those answers and determines whether the company’s services match the person’s needs. Customers living in certain states must complete a video consultation as part of the prescription evaluation.
Once approved, an individual can start filling prescriptions that meet their needs through Favor’s affiliated pharmacies. Favor’s team will recommend prescriptions that best suit the individual. A person seeking acne medication can upload images of their skin for the team to review.
The company generally accepts most insurance plans and even Medicaid for people living in certain states. Most customers with insurance pay zero dollars for birth control prescribed through Favor. Insurance usually covers the cost of online health consultations as well.
Favor also offers cash pay options for customers without insurance. As an example, a person may purchase a 1-year supply of birth control medication for $83.88. Online health consultations are available for $15 per year for those without insurance.
Favor accepts credit card payments. Customers may also pay for their services with FSA/HSA cards.
Favor offers automatic refills on all prescriptions. Customers can choose between getting a 1-month or 3-month supply of their medications. However, some insurance plans require a person to receive a 1-month supply.
Prescriptions include free shipping. Favor’s customers can opt to receive text or email updates about the status of their prescriptions. Once shipped, prescriptions usually arrive within 3 to 5 days.
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Favor vs. competitors
Other telehealth companies provide similar products and services. Some alternative options and their differences from Favor are:
Nurx
Nurx is an online healthcare company that offers:
Services: Nurx offers treatment for people with a sexually transmitted infection, skin concerns, or a need for birth control pills. Nurx offers general and mental health treatment plans and at-home testing options for STIs, HPV, and COVID-19.
sexually transmitted infection
mental health
STIs
HPV
COVID-19
Consultations: Nurx provides consultations with licensed healthcare professionals. Prices range from $15 to $60. As a comparison, a person’s insurance can cover consultations booked with Favor’s medical team.
Subscription: Nurx offers subscription services so people can receive their medications every 3 months. The frequency of Favor’s refills depends on a person’s insurance plan, but the company can also send up to a 3-month supply at one time.
Read a full review on Nurx here.
Read a full review on Nurx here.
LEARN MORE
Pandia Health
Some features that people can consider when comparing Favor versus Pandia Health include:
Birth control options: Favor and Pandia Health offer birth control pills and rings.
Free delivery: Both companies offer free shipping.
Prescription: Those who need a new prescription and use Pandia Health’s services must fill out a form. Then, an external doctor reviews their information. The company’s internal doctor issues the prescription and Pandia mails the medication to the customer. With Favor, individuals answer a questionnaire and the company’s medical team reviews their answers and approves or disapproves the request for a prescription. If approved, the person receives the birth control prescription through the mail.
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Twentyeight Health
There are some differences between Favor and Twentyeight Health. The most notable differences include:
Birth control options: Both companies offer birth control pills and rings. Twentyeight Health can also prescribe patches.
patches
Questionnaire: Both companies require individuals to answer a questionnaire. Favor’s staff doctors review the answers to a person’s questions on the questionnaire and then prescribe a suitable birth control pill. However, Twentyeight Health allows customers to have a consultation with their medical team before ordering a prescription.
Reviews: According to reviews, Favor’s doctors can take a long time to get back to customers, while Twentyeight Health’s customers state that the company doctors’ response time is quick.
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Comparison table for competitors vs. Favor
The table below gives a snapshot of how Favor compares with its competitors.
Favor
Nurx
Pandia Health
Twentyeight Health
When to see a doctor
A person should see their doctor as soon as possible if they experience somewhat severe or ongoing reactions to any new medication they are taking.
Some rare but serious side effects of hormonal birth control commonly prescribed by Favor include blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.
side effects of hormonal birth control
blood clots
heart attack
stroke
A person should seek emergency medical care services if they experience severe abdominal, chest, arm, or leg pain.
Other immediate medical symptoms include:
shortness of breath
shortness of breath
severe headaches
severe headaches
vision problems
vision problems
suicidal thoughts
suicidal thoughts
Additionally, a person should find immediate emergency medical care if they experience symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.
These symptoms include:
shortness of breath
difficulty swallowing
difficulty swallowing
facial swelling
facial swelling
hives
hives
rash
rash
A person should know that it is typical to experience some side effects when they start using hormonal birth control medications.
These may include:
breakthrough bleeding
breakthrough bleeding
spotting
spotting
acne
mood changes
mood changes
headaches
headaches
bloating
nausea
nausea
Those experiencing common side effects of hormonal birth control can seek advice from Favor’s pharmacists. Contact numbers are available on the company’s website.
company’s website
Frequently asked questions
These are some frequently asked questions about Favor.
Some birth control pills that Favor offers include:
Combined hormonal pills: These contain the synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progestin. People take them to prevent pregnancy and regulate their period.
estrogen
progestin
Progestin-only pills: These contain the hormone progestin. A person has to take these pills at the same time every day for them to be effective.
Emergency contraceptive pill: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that this pill can be effective in preventing pregnancy if an individual takes it up to 5 days after having sex without any barrier methods.
Emergency contraceptive pill
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The company also stocks female condoms and birth control rings.
Individuals living in Favor’s prescribing states can receive a prescription from the company’s medical team.
However, a person must fill out a health questionnaire and have a recent blood pressure reading ready before connecting with a doctor.
The company works with licensed doctors and offers drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is also HIPAA-compliant and is accredited by:
Food and Drug Administration
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. This indicates that Favor is a safe company with all the licensing requirements to distribute medications safely.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
The Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC). URAC accredits pharmacies, hospitals, and provider groups and ensures that the company adheres to national standards. It also has processes in place to provide health services.
The Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC)
Summary
Favor (formerly The Pill Club) allows people to order birth control online without a previous prescription or visiting their doctor.
It provides different pricing plans for people with an insurance plan and those without insurance. It accepts most major insurance plans.
Other companies provide similar services and access to prescription and medications for birth control. A person may want to consider some of the competitor’s features before committing to Favor.