DTC telehealth
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth is a model where a brand markets a treatment program straight to patients online, with the clinical visit, prescription, and fulfillment happening behind that brand.
- Brand up front; licensed medical group behind it
- Cash-pay pricing is the norm
- Retention and refills — not first orders — drive unit economics
- Ad platforms require LegitScript certification for telehealth
How the DTC model works
The funnel: an ad or piece of content brings the patient to a branded landing page; a medical intake follows; a licensed clinician in the patient’s state reviews and, where appropriate, prescribes; a pharmacy fills and ships; refills recur on a subscription cadence. The brand owns acquisition, pricing, and experience; an affiliated medical group delivers the care — the structure CPOM rules require.
What separates the winners
Unit economics live in retention: first orders rarely cover acquisition cost, so refill rates and program length decide viability. Operationally that means fast, high-converting intakes (async where states allow), clinician capacity that keeps review times low, fulfillment reliability, and proactive care touches that give patients a reason to stay.
Marketing compliance is the other moat: ad platforms require LegitScript certification for telehealth advertisers, and health-claim rules constrain copy. Brands that treat compliant marketing as a capability, not a constraint, buy distribution their competitors cannot.
DTC vs B2B2C
The alternative channel is B2B2C — selling the program through employers, health plans, or other businesses that bring their populations. It trades the CAC treadmill for slower enterprise sales and payer-grade requirements. Many companies run DTC first for speed and proof, then layer B2B2C once the clinical engine is humming.
Compliance handled, so you can build
Lithos runs the clinicians, pharmacies, and 50-state rules behind your care program — one API.
Frequently asked questions
Is DTC telehealth legal?
Yes, when structured properly: licensed clinicians in each patient state, a compliant medical-group structure, and state-appropriate visit modalities.
Do DTC brands employ the doctors?
Generally no — clinicians work for an affiliated physician-owned medical group, which is what corporate-practice-of-medicine rules require in most states.
What does it cost to launch?
Building clinical operations in-house historically ran into the millions over a year or more; infrastructure platforms compress that to weeks and a per-visit cost structure.