Bay Alarm Medical vs. Medical Alert

As we reach old age, our bodies go through many changes. Some of these changes make it difficult for us to live on our own, and we may need assistance from others in order to complete everyday tasks.

Our muscles may weaken, we may suffer from chronic pain, and our cognitive abilities may decline. These age-related changes can make it difficult for us to live independently and can put us at risk for falls, accidents, and other injuries. For seniors who want to maintain their independence, a medical alert system can be a lifesaver.

Medical alert systems are designed to help seniors, those with chronic medical conditions, and even anyone who lives alone to get the help they need in an emergency. With the push of a button, users can instantly connect with an emergency response operator who will dispatch help, whether that’s sending emergency services or contacting a loved one.

Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Alert are two popular medical alert system providers in the US. Let's take a look at how they compare in terms of features, prices, and overall efficiency.

	Bay Alarm Medical	Medical Alert
Overall Grade	Overall Grade: A	Overall Grade: A
Costs
Monthly Cost Price	$19.95 - $49.95	$22.95 - $42.95
Device Cost	$0 - $159	$49
Shipping Fee	$12	$NaN - $NaN
Cancellation Fee	No fee	No fee
Fall Detection Fee	$0 - $10	$10
Cellular Fee	n/a	n/a
Spouse Monitoring	$39	$0
Features
Connectivity Option	Cellular or Landline	Cellular or Landline
Two-way Speaker & Microphone	Yes	Yes
Home-based Back Up Battery Life	32 hours	30 hours
On-the-go Battery Life	6-18 hours or 72 hours	120 hours
Button Range	1000 ft	800 ft
Water Resistant	Yes	Yes
GPS Tracking	Yes, some plans	Yes, some plans
Caregiver App	Yes, some plans	Yes
Response Time	20 seconds	30 seconds
More Details	See All Plans	See All Plans

Bay Alarm Medical

Pros:

• Payment terms are flexible
• Risk-free 30-day trial period
• No hidden charges
• Plans are customizable
• Dedicated to excellence and experience
• Comes with a caregiver app with geofencing capability
• 24/7/ monitoring

Cons:

• $99 and $159 one-time equipment fees for the mobile GPS help button and smartwatch, respectively
• Fall detection can be added to the plan for an additional cost

Medical Alert

Pros:

• Monitoring fees are very affordable
• Does not require long-term contracts
• 30-day risk-free trial with a full money-back guarantee
• Free Medical Alert Connect app
• Free Lockbox on all system plans

Cons:

• Range is limited to 800ft
• Offers basic and standard features that other companies offer
• Charges one-time equipment fee of $49

Bay Alarm Medical Overview

Bay Alarm is a trusted medical alert provider with over 70 years of experience in the industry. The company offers a wide range of medical alert systems to meet the needs of any user, whether they are at home or on the go. This company is committed to excellence and experience, offering 24/7 monitoring service through their own CSAA Five Diamond Certified professional monitoring centers.

Bay Alarm's monthly monitoring fees start at $19.95 up to $49.95 a month, which is lower than what most other providers charge. Their home-based system has two connectivity options – through a landline or wirelessly through 4G-LTE AT&T or Verizon network.

Their devices are water-resistant which means you can use them even when you're in the shower or when you're outside your home in the rain. Bay Alarm's quick response rate of 20 seconds is one of the fastest in the industry.

One downside of their system is that they charge an additional monthly fee of $10 for fall detection. So if you're interested in this feature, you'll need to factor that into your monthly budget.

Medical Alert Systems

In-Home Basic

The In-Home Basic uses landline as a connectivity option and is valued at $19.95 a month. If users opt for automatic fall detection, it will cost an extra monthly fee of $10. This plan includes waterproof devices that cover range of up to 1000ft.

In-Home Preferred

The In-Home Preferred is a home-based medical alert system that connects to a cellular network. This plan costs $29.95 a month plus an additional monthly fee of $10 if users opt to add the automatic fall detection feature. This plan is popular because it offers free shipping when you pay quarterly, and free shipping plus a free one-month monitoring fee when you pay annually.

In-Home Premium

This plan comes with a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 plus an extra $10 a month for the optional fall detection feature. This plan includes a base unit, a help button, and four wall buttons that you can place in high-risk areas around your home. This plan also comes with the same discount opportunities as the In-Home Preferred plan.

SOS Mobile Lite

This compact mobile device is ideal for individuals who are looking for a reliable medical alert system that they can bring with them wherever they go. This system comes with a monthly monitoring fee of $29.95 and unlike Bay Alarm's home-based systems, SOS Mobile requires a one-time device fee of $99.

This device is available on both the AT&T and Verizon 4G-LTE networks. It comes with a caregiver tracking app and GPS location tracking feature. Plus, the device is water-resistant and can last up to 3 days once fully charged. Automatic fall detection can be added to this plan for an additional $10 a month.

SOS Mobile Plus

This plan is similar to SOS Mobile Lite but the automatic fall detection comes free with this plan. This plan has a monthly monitoring fee of $39.95 plus a one-time equipment fee of $99. This plan is ideal for those who are at risk of falling or who want the extra peace of mind that comes with knowing their loved ones can be quickly notified in the event of an emergency.

SOS Mobile 360° Bundle

This system is a combination of home-based and on-the-go systems that provides comprehensive protection. This plan comes with a monthly monitoring fee of $49.95 plus a one-time device cost of $99. This plan includes In-Home Preferred + Mobile device + Fall Detection.

By subscribing to this bundle, you will save a considerable amount of money in comparison to if you were to subscribe to two plans separately. The discounted rate also comes with the Mobile 360° Bundle plan when opting for quarterly or annual payments.

SOS Smartwatch

The SOS Smartwatch is another option on Bay Alarm's on-the-go systems. It costs $29.95 a month with an additional $159 equipment fee to pay upfront.

The SOS Smartwatch does not come with a fall detection monitoring feature, but it does have optimal display lighting, clear two-way communication, an SOS button, and step tracker. The device is also powered by the 4G-LTE cellular network, which allows fast response speed and GPS location tracking. The device has a modern look, is water-resistant, and has a battery life of 6 to 18 hours.

In-home + Smartwatch

This is yet another package they offer. The plan costs $49.95 a month. You'll save money by taking advantage of this plan, which also includes access to 24/7 monitoring service, location tracking, and in-home protection.

Medical Alert Overview

Medical Alert is a company that provides emergency medical alert monitoring services to seniors across the US. They are headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and are considered a pioneer in the medical alert monitoring industry.

The company is owned by Connect America, a government-approved provider of medical alert technology in over 30 states. They have 15 field service and support locations across the US, and all of them are members of the Medical Alert Monitoring Association (MAMA).

Medical Alert is a great choice for those who are looking for reliable and high-quality medical alert systems. The company offers three system plans, all of which come with no activation fee and low-cost monthly monitoring fees that can be canceled anytime.

They offer the most comprehensive and straightforward systems among other companies we have reviewed, providing only the most basic and urgent features needed by senior citizens. They also offer a very affordable protection plan that covers the cost of system replacement in case of theft, loss or damage for only $1 a month.

Medical Alert Systems

Home System - Landline is the most affordable plan offered by Medical Alert that costs only $22.95 a month with a one-time device fee of $49. It features a base unit with a clear two-way speaker and microphone and a wearable help button that is water-resistant and safe to use in the shower. It provides in-home protection with a range of up to 800ft from the base unit. The base unit comes with a backup battery that can last up to 30 hours in case of a power outage.

This system can also be paired with an automatic fall detection pendant that can detect sudden downward movement and will automatically place a call to the monitoring center even if the user is unable to push the help button that costs additional $10 a month.

Home System - Cellular

Medical Alert's Home System - Cellular offer the same features and inclusions as the Home System - Landline but with a connectivity option using a cellular network. This system is best for those who do not have a landline phone and whose homes have enough AT&T signal strength. It costs $32.95 a month with the same one-time device fee of $49. This too can be paired with an automatic fall detection pendant for an additional $10 a month.

Mobile System

The Mobile System includes a waterproof help button that is wearable either as a wristband or as a pendant. It mainly features a two-way speaker that allows clear communication with the emergency response operators, and a GPS location tracker that can readily locate the user in case of an emergency.

The device connects to the AT&T network which means users are covered anywhere in the US as long as they have the cellular network signal. It can also last up to 5 days on a single charge. This system costs $42.95 a month with a one-time device fee of $49 and an additional $10 a month if you opt to add the fall detection pendant.

When it comes to choosing a medical alert system, two of the most popular providers are Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Alert who offers a variety of plans and pricing options to fit different needs and budgets. But how do they compare when it comes to cost?

Bay Alarm's monitoring fees cost only from $19.95 up to $49.95 a month while Medical Alert's monitoring fees start at $22.95 and can go up to $42.95 a month. Although Bay Alarm charges a higher one-time equipment fee for its on-the-go devices that are priced from $99 to $159, and Medical Alert only charges $49 for all of its system plans, users can still save a significant amount if they opt to subscribe long-term for Bay Alarm's monitoring plans.

Additionally, Bay Alarm charges less for its shipping fee compared to Medical Alert. While both providers charge their customers an additional $10 a month for the optional automatic fall detection, Bay Alarm offers it built-in for its SOS Mobile Plus and Mobile 360 Bundle.

Lastly, we have also taken into consideration the price for spouse monitoring when comparing the two companies. Bay Alarm charges a fee of $39 for each extra button added on top of a plan. This is a little more expensive than what other companies charge, but it's completely acceptable since Medical Alert does not offer an extra button for spouse monitoring.

Let's now compare the features of Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Alert side by side.

Both Bay Alarm and Medical Alert offer waterproof systems that can connect to the landline and wirelessly through a cellular network. The base unit for each company's system is equipped with a two-way speaker and microphone so that users can speak directly with the monitoring center.

Bay Alarm's home-based system can last up to 32 hours on a backup battery while Medical Alert can last up to 30 hours. Meanwhile, Bay Alarm's on-the-go devices can last up to 3 days on a single charge while Medical Alert can last up to 5 days.

Both companies provide GPS location tracking and a caregiver app that can be useful for managing care for a loved one. However, when it comes to the devices included in each of their system plans, Bay Alarm offers a more comprehensive selection. This includes the company's wall buttons and SOS Smartwatch, plus, their in-home and on-the-go bundle that you won't find with Medical Alert.

Monitoring Center

These two medical alert companies have US-based monitoring centers that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. You can feel confident that whether you press your alert button during the day or in the middle of the night, there will always be someone available to assist you.

Their monitoring centers have staff that are highly trained professionals, who will know how to respond to your particular situation. While Medical Alert's monitoring center is UL-approved, Bay Alarm's two monitoring centers both received CSAA Five Diamond Certification and are annually tested and certified by the UL testing facility.

Both companies have emergency response operators that can accommodate multiple languages to cater to even non-English callers. Medical Alert's operators have an average response time of under 30 seconds while Bay Alarm's operators have an average response time of 20 seconds.

OUR PICK

Between Bay Alarm Medical and Medical Alert, we believe that Bay Alarm Medical is the better choice for a medical alert system.

While both companies have their pros and cons, we believe that Bay Alarm's monitoring fees are more affordable in the long run.

Moreover, Bay Alarm offers a number of devices and features that Medical Alert doesn't have, such as the wall buttons and SOS Smartwatch. Wall buttons can be placed in high-risk areas of your home, such as the bathroom or kitchen, so that you can easily press the button in case of an emergency. The SOS Smartwatch, on the other hand, is a wearable device that has a built-in two-way speaker and microphone, plus, it has GPS location tracking in case you get lost. These devices could be really helpful in an emergency situation, which is why we believe that Bay Alarm is the better choice among the two.