Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a good medical alert system cost?

It varies, and paying more doesn’t always get you a better product.

With most monitored systems, your monthly cost is partly a lease payment for the equipment and partly a fee for the monthly monitoring (though it’s never separated out). Some systems allow you to purchase the equipment and just pay for monitoring.

Other systems work without a monitoring center so there’s no ongoing cost after you pay for the equipment.

Figure $30 a month, but you can get good systems for $20 a month if you pay in advance and you can spend over $50 for something that’s not very good.

How do emergency responders get in if my door is locked? Do they break it down?

Basically, yes.

If emergency responders can’t get into your home and they think you’re in trouble inside, they’re allowed to force their way in.

That’s why it’s such a good reason to have a key in a lockbox. You just give the code to the monitoring center when you set up your service. Then if they need to send emergency help, they will give the code to the dispatcher. Much better for EMS to use a key than break a window that will sit open while you are in the hospital!

Why do some websites recommend systems that aren’t very good?

Most websites that review and recommend medical alarms are “affiliates” of the companies, which means they get a payment if you click through and make a purchase. These amounts range from $50 to $85 per purchase.

Sadly, there’s a big incentive for these sites to send you to the company that pays the biggest commission or the on that is best at pressuring you into a sale.

What guarantees and cancellation policies should I look for?

Many companies offer a 30-day money back guarantee so you can try the unit in your home and see if it will work for you. But don’t assume everyone does, because many companies don’t.

As for cancellations, choose a company that makes it easy. With most providers, you need to call them to cancel, but they don’t stop billing until they’ve received all of the equipment back. Look for companies that don’t charge cancellation fees and that return any pre-paid months of service you’re not going to use.

Above all, avoid long term contracts if you can.

What’s so bad about a long term contract for a medical alarm system?

Long-term contracts are unnecessary for medical alert services. Companies that have them claim they protect you against price hikes and guarantee good service, but if you think about it, that’s a stretch.

A company that locks its customers in for 3 years doesn’t have any incentive to provide good service. In contrast, a company that allows you to cancel anytime and even refunds any pre-paid months has to provide great service all the time to keep earning your trust.

Monthly prices for medical alerts have been quite stable for the past decade and will probably continue in the same range.

What hidden fees should I worry about when buying a medical alert system?

For the most part medical alarm companies are good about not using hidden fees. Generally there’s no charge to activate your system and no charge to use it to call for help. Just make sure you understand the monthly fee, what happens if your equipment gets damaged, and how the company handles cancellations.

What about add-ons and upsells?

Companies are very different when it comes to add-ons and upsells. For example, it’s common for companies to try to sell you a lockbox so emergency responders can access a key to your house. At a hardware store this is a $15-$25 item. Many companies offer it to you for $29. This might be worthwhile to you to save a trip to the hardware store.

However, other companies ask you to pay monthly. At first this might seem like a deal, but $4/month for a lockbox quickly turns into over $100 (in about two years). Great for the company; not so much for you. The same pricing happens with things like extra pendants, wall buttons, etc.

Does Medicare pay for medical alerts?

In some states, financial assistance may be available for senior alert systems. Be sure to talk to the company you’re interested in to see if they can help you with this. But by and large you should assume the cost will end up coming out of your wallet.

What can go wrong with a medical alert system?

By and large the equipment is reliable and durable. Panic buttons can get lost or damaged. But the most common problem, especially with hybrid or mobile medical alerts, is that your battery runs down.

People sometimes experience delays in reaching the monitoring center. In my experience most test calls I’ve made have been answered promptly, but it’s not instantaneous. This is another reason it’s good to test your system frequently. Phone outages or cell signal problems can also cause problems.

How do I install the medical alert system?

Medical alert systems are easy to install. If you have ever set up an answering machine, you can certainly do this. With base station units, you just plug it into the wall and plug in your phone line.

Once that’s done, it’s important to work with the company to make sure they know about any medical conditions or special circumstances. You’ll also want to set up a plan with them for what happens if they get an emergency alert but they can’t hear you or reach you on the phone (for example, if you had a stroke and can’t talk, or if you simply slipped and fell in the garden)

How do I test my medical alert system?

Testing is easy. Just press the button. The system will dial the monitoring center. When the agent answers, just let them know it’s a test call. You should test your system at least once a month. The agents don’t mind, really.

Is automatic fall detection worth the extra cost?

It depends. Fall detection generally costs about $10 a month extra. The advantage is that if you happen to have an accident where you fall and hit your head or go unconscious, emergency help will still be sent. These kinds of falls are rare, but medical alert companies make extra money by convincing you to worry about them.

The downside of fall detection is that there are false alarms. Some people get frustrated by the false alarms and stop wearing their pendant.

Another downside is that fall detection pendants are larger than ones without fall detection. This also makes them more likely to be left on the bedside table.

Does it matter where the call center is located?

Not really, as long as it’s in the same country as you are. Some companies try to make a big deal of the fact that their call centers are in the USA. I’ve never heard of any reputable medical alert company serving American customers that has call centers outside of the USA. It can be helpful for a company to use 2 separate centers in case there’s a problem with one, but it’s not essential.

Which is better, a company-owned monitoring center or a contract monitoring center?

There probably isn’t that big a difference, except in the minds of the companies who have their own monitoring centers.

A company-owned center has tighter control over quality, but they are solely responsible for staffing, so if they’re trying to cut corners they might not have enough operators if there’s a spike in demand.

Contract centers serve multiple companies, so they can respond to spikes in demand from one company or region more easily. Some contract centers have higher training requirements for agents than company-owned centers.

Which medical alert systems should be avoided?

Avoid systems with long term contracts.

On the “no-fee” side, I strongly discourage you from getting one of the low-priced systems that does not actually allow you to talk to the person on the other end. Yes, these exist! They play a recorded message to the friends and family on the call list. Way too many things can go wrong.

Also think carefully about a no-fee system that doesn’t have two-way communication through the pendant. Remember, with a monitored classic system they know what to do if they can’t hear you. But your friends and family are not trained responders, so clear communication is key.