Medical Alert Review Overall Grade: A

Seniors are in their highest vulnerability state when it comes to medical emergencies, so it should be an urgent matter to get them signed up to a home and mobile medical alert system to ensure their protection from any possible incidents.

With the availability of numerous medical alert systems, it is important to have apt knowledge on the fine points of any medical alert service provider to help you go through a sound decision on what plan to subscribe to. Medical Alert,offers protection to the elderly and provides peace of mind on the part of the family members with their easy-to-use system. Their devices have complete inclusions of features, depending on the preferences and needs of the users.

Let’s go through a comprehensive run-down of some of the essential points to consider when choosing a competent medical alert service provider. First, it should offer provisions that improve the life quality of the users. Then, come the aspects that allow a senior to live independently without the worry of being left unassisted when emergencies arise. Affordability should also be a point of consideration, making sure that the system you will get is reasonably priced so that it is easily attainable by those who need it most. Finally, its ease of use. Medical alert systems should have no unnecessary complications that would hinder the user from getting urgent help.

With these attributes in mind, Medical Alert impressively meets the standard of a user-friendly, affordable, and reliable system.

Let's go over Medical Alert System plans:

The systems offered by Medical Alert are a great choice for those who are looking for reliable and high-quality medical alert systems. Overall, we have graded Medical Alert with an A because of its efficacy and value, as evaluated according to the following parameters:

The on-the-go system of Medical Alert deserves an A+, as it ensures safety and protection with its mobile emergency assistance. Here are the sub-points we considered:

Water Resistance

Their wearable on-the-go devices are light-weight and water-resistant. You can take comfort in knowing you are protected wherever you go, even when it rains while you are outdoors. This feature makes their on-the-go system all the more convenient and functional even in damp environments.

Battery Life

The on-the-go Medical Alert device can last up to five days max, which is an impressive battery life as compared to other mobile systems. This is a quality indicator that indicates its functionality and stability, which fit perfectly for seniors who love to explore and travel.

GPS Location Tracking

Their device features an advanced GPS locator technology, so you can immediately access help wherever you go, whenever you need. This enables the emergency response operators to track your whereabouts so when you press the button, they know where to dispatch help.

Fall Detection

For an additional monthly fee of $10, you can have automatic fall detection, which is recommended to have as this feature sends a signal to the monitoring center once a fall is detected. However, it is important to note that not all falls are detected by the built-in sensors in the device, but it is a good upgrade especially for seniors who are prone to falls.

Caregiver App

Medical Alert has a 24/7 continuous monitoring through a mobile app access, “Medical Alert Connect” which gets you connected instantly to trained medical respondents right from the app. This has a quick-tracking feature which speeds up connecting to the app whenever you need it.

Medical Alert can be set up with a landline connection or with a cellular connection. We rated their Home-based system with an A, as evaluated based on the following parameters:

Water Resistance

The home-based system of Medical Alert has a waterproof help button that can be worn as a pendant or a wristband that is safe to wear in the shower, where most falls are prone to occur.

Range of Protection

From the base station, their device has a range of 800 feet. Although this range capacity does not support coverage as wide as other medical alert systems we have reviewed, it is practical enough for an average U.S home.

Fall Detection

As most emergencies are from accidental falls, Medical Alert offers an optional fall detection feature for an additional $10 a month, which is the standard charge for this feature. This is a handy upgrade for a medical alert system, as most accidents are caused by falls.

Cellular Fee

Medical Alert offers landline or cellular connectivity options for their home-based systems.. The cellular system comes with a unit that connects to the AT&T network, at no additional cost on top of the basic monthly fee.

Cost-wise, we graded Medical Alert with an A because of the efficiency of its scope and its value as seen in its features and offers. Here are the considerations we have taken into account:

Monitoring Fees

Medical Alert offers an affordable price for their systems, with a monitoring fee starting at $22.95 a month on a monthly payment method. Medical Alert does not charge any activation, installation, system, or equipment fees, with no hidden fees or long-term contracts.

Cancellation Fee

Users may cancel their subscription any time free of charge. Medical Alert also offers a risk-free use for your first 30 days of subscription. If you are not satisfied with the service, you can return the equipment and get a full refund within the first 30 days of use.

Spouse Monitoring

Some medical alert systems offer an extra button for Spouse Monitoring, but since Medical Alert has limited add-on features, their systems do not support this facet.

Shipping Fee

The shipping fee for Medical Alert ranges from $15.5 to $ 35. Users can avail of its free shipping offer if they sign up for an annual payment plan.

One of the main concerns when deciding to choose a medical alert system subscription is the reliability of their monitoring centers. You should have 100% confidence in the agents who will respond to you in case of emergency. We gave a fair A- rating for Medical Alert, based on the following criteria:

Location

Medical Alert is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and offers medical alert system services nationwide. As a U.S-based service provider, users can easily access the system at any given incident. The strategic location provides its customers a 100% assurance or quick response and 24/7 support.

Third-Party Certification

The monitoring centers of Medical Alert are UL-approved. Another reassuring aspect is the solid approach of Medical Alert’s monitoring centers to resiliency and redundancy, which are important to sustain their operations even in unforeseen situations.

Response Rate

The most crucial factor to look at in any medical alert system is their average response rate, as it is considered as the main aspect for the survival of the affected user. On average, the response time of Medical Alert scores for 30 seconds, which is rational and adequate to carry out rescue and response. Also, the monitoring system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in all 365 days of the year.

Multi-Lingual Availability

Their U.S-based monitoring system operates 24/7, and is staffed with operators who speak multiple languages. This is an edge for Medical Alert in terms of communication. As they have multi-lingual respondents, they can accommodate non-native residents through a more precise understanding of the language used.

Home System- Landline

Medical Alert provides an in-home protection through a base unit that is connected to a wearable help button that has up to 800 feet range. It features a two-way speaker that enables two way communication during an emergency. In case of power outage, the base has a back up battery life of 30 hours. The wearable device has an emergency help button that is water-resistant and is safe to wear in the shower. Landline connectivity is priced for $22.95 on a monthly payment plan, while $19.95 for an annual plan. This plan also requires a one-time device cost of $49. Possible upgrade costs $10 every month for an optional fall detection.

What's included in the Home System-Landline?

• Base unit
• Waterproof wristband or pendant help button
• Medical Alert Connect App Access
• FREE lockbox

Home System- Cellular

Medical Alert Home System-Cellular has the same features as the Home System Landline model, but this works best for seniors who don’t have a landline system installed in their home. Their in-home system offers cellular connectivity through AT&T network for a monthly fee of $32.95, and a discounted price of $29.95 per month if paid on a yearly plan. The water-proof wrist or neck pendant has an 800-foot range that provides secure coverage in all areas of your home. Like their home system- landline, this too requires a one-time device fee of $49. An optional upgrade for an automatic fall detection is charged at a standard rate of $10 every month.

What's included in the Home System- Cellular?

• Base unit that connects to the AT&T network

• Help button which could be a wristband or pendant

• Medical Alert Connect App Access

• FREE lockbox

Mobile System

This mobile system includes a help button that is wearable either as a wristband or as a pendant worn around the neck. It mainly features a two-way speaker that allows a clear communication with the emergency response operators, and a GPS location tracker that can readily locate the user if help is needed when away from home.

For a $42.95 monthly subscription and a one-time programming fee of $49.95, you can already have a compact, water-resistant mobile device that lets you immediately access help anytime, anywhere.

It has coverage in all 50 states whenever a cellular signal is accessible. It also provides 24/7/365 protection with just one push on the help button, which is convenient and at the same time, reliable. What’s even more impressive is that the battery has a capacity of up to 5-days, which adds to the peace of mind that it provides. This system can also be upgraded to have fall detection monitoring for $10 a month.

What's included in the Medical Mobile System?

• Help button
• Medical Connect App Access
• FREE lockbox

How Does the Medical Alert’s Home-based System Work?

Medical Alert offers round-the-clock protection for older adults through a variety of systems that fit the preference and lifestyle of the users. The systems provide a sense of security and convenience that generally improves the quality of life of the elderly. The services of Medical Alert maximize the cost-effectiveness, efficacy, and convenience featured in their products. How exactly do the systems of Medical Alert work? Basically, the Medical Alert Home-based system has a base unit and a wearable help button that you can push in an emergency. This will alert the monitoring center, and will immediately connect you with a trained operator that you can speak to. You can state your emergency and explain your situation, but in the event that you are unable to speak, help will automatically be dispatched to your home.

How Does Medical Alert’s On-the-go System Work?

Their On-the-go system features a help button with an advanced GPS locator technology. To activate in an emergency, just press the help button and it automatically connects you to the monitoring center. Medical Alert has nationwide coverage, so help is accessible anywhere that is reachable through a cellular signal. Operators are highly trained to respond to any emergency to ensure the safety of the client. An added fall detection feature is optional for added protection from injuries commonly caused by falls.

Monitoring Center

Users can take confidence in the UL-listed monitoring centers of Medical Alert that are U.S-based. Their services offer nationwide coverage and their monitoring centers have a firm approach on redundancy and reliability. The response time is capped at 30 seconds, which assures adequate time for a successful operation. Their monitoring centers are staffed with highly-trained operators who are available 24/7 and have undergone a rigid selection process to ensure that they could deliver a standard emergency response procedure during emergencies. Operators are trained to contact the user’s caregivers, loved ones, and designated persons in their emergency contact list to dispatch help as quickly as possible. Their monitoring center is staffed with multilingual speakers, which provides ease of communication on the part of the users.

Why Choose Medical Alert?

• Highly-trained, multi-lingual operators that can benefit non-native English seniors
• Monitoring centers are located in the U.S.
• Straightforward systems with in-home and mobile options
• Water-resistant devices
• 24/7 access to trained specialists who can provide prompt assistance in case of emergencies
• 30-day risk-free subscription with a full money-back guarantee
• Free Medical Alert Connect App
• Automatic fall detection is compatible in all systems
• Free PIN-protected key lockbox provided with every annual monitoring plan
• No hidden fees, no long-term contracts, no activation fee, no setup fee