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MedicalAlert.com is part of ConnectAmerica, a nationwide company that provides a variety of goods and services to help older adults age in place more safely and securely. Medical Alert’s standalone web site is solely dedicated to medical alert systems.
The company offers medical alert systems including home-based and mobile systems. Unlike other leading medical alert companies, Medical Alert does not offer a smartwatch option.
Though MedicalAlert.com was formerly a low-cost leader in medical alert systems, the company’s 2024 pricing is now higher than most competitors.
Both of the company’s medical alerts have higher startup costs than many other medical alert systems. We don’t like the company’s high $99.95 programming fee, and its $24.95 ground shipping fee is high. We also found the company’s return/refund policy to be complicated and confusing.
MedicalAlert.com Mobile has a first year cost of ownership of $820.30, which places it among the more expensive mobile medical alert systems we evaluated.
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| Home System | |
Programming Fee | $99.95 |
Shipping | $24.95 |
Monthly Monitoring | $27.95 Landline / $37.95 Cellular |
Optional Fall Detection | $10.00 / month |
Total Cost (First Year) | $580.30 |
Medical Alert System Overview
Medical Alert’s landline Home System is advertised as “basic monitoring equipment,” and it meets that test. Fall detection is available at extra cost. Customers who choose semi-annual or annual plans receive discounted monitoring fees and free shipping.
For a landline medical alert system, the system has a high startup cost. We find the $99.95 programming fee high, since many other companies don’t charge such a fee for their landline systems. The $24.95 shipping cost was also high compared to other companies.
We recommend contacting Medical Alert directly for detailed information about the Home System. Although the website is easy to read and navigate, it lacks in-depth product information. Fortunately, it’s easy to contact Medical Alert by phone. We encountered little or no hold time and friendly, knowledgeable sales agents.
The system was reliable and fast. During out tests, response times ranged from 45 seconds to one minute. The fall detection was incredibly reliable and performed accurately during multiple tests and attempts to “trick” it into reporting a fall. Medical Alert’s Home System had the best fall detection of any landline system we tested. This is a notable accomplishment, since research from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows that real-world falls can be difficult to detect. If a medical alert system for fall detection is a primary concern for you, this system could be your best bet.
Although the landline system and fall detection performed quite well in tests, the account management app was both cumbersome and frustrating.
The return/refund process was lengthy and complicated. The customer is responsible for notifying the billing department that the unit has been returned — and that it takes over a month after sending the unit back to receive the refund. Overall, we found customer support lacking when compared to other companies we evaluated.
If you’re satisfied with a basic, reliable landline medical alert system with limited options, Medical Alert may be a good choice. But pay careful attention to the return requirements and cut-off dates to ensure that you receive your refund or avoid being over-charged if you’re unhappy with the service.
| Mobile System | |
|---|---|
Programming Fee | $99.95 |
Shipping | $24.95 |
Monthly Monitoring | $47.95 |
Optional Fall Detection | $10.00 / month |
Total Cost (First Year) | $820.30 |
MedicalAlert.com Mobile System
Though MedicalAlert.com was formerly a low-cost leader in medical alert systems, the company’s 2024 pricing puts them at the high end of the price spectrum.
The company’s Mobile System with Fall Detection features a base price of $47.95/month if you choose to pay monthly ($39.95/month if you commit to an annual subscription). Fall detection costs an extra $10/month. Startup cost is relatively high, with a one-time programming fee of $99.95 and $24.95 for ground shipping.
In total, the 1-year cost of ownership for the system is $820.30, assuming opt for fall detection and pay monthly. That’s 20% higher than the average cost of the six mobile systems we evaluated this year.
There are no contracts, and MedicalAlert.com offers discounts for semi-annual and annual subscriptions.
The system has all the features you expect from a mobile medical alert system, including two-way communication through the device, a mobile phone app for managing your account, and reliable fall detection. The system can be worn as a pendant or wristband. Fall detection requires a second pendant.
Our tests also revealed issues with the device’s GPS location. In one test, it took almost 8 minutes to find our location. When the GPS location function works, it works well. However, our success rate in getting a GPS lock on the device was about 50/50. Mobile medical alerts are design to work at home and around town, so hat’s a significant flaw in a system that needs to know your exact location in an emergency.
We also found MedicalAlert.com’s return/refund process to be over-complicated — placing burden on the customer to verify that the return was received by the company and charges refunded promptly. Pay close attention to your credit card statement if you decide to return your system.
Read our full review of ConnectAmerica’s MedicalAlert.com Mobile System.