The 11 Best Medical Alert Systems
Who Has the Best Medical Alert Systems?
As the US population ages, the need for medical alert systems grows. Given the increasing number of seniors who prefer to "age in place" - living in their own home as long as possible, rather than moving to an independent or assisted living facility for the elderly - it is easy to see why a medical alert system could make the difference between life and death.
Medical alert systems give users the ability to rapidly contact emergency services, typically through a button worn on the wrist or as a pendant around the neck. All it takes is a click of that button to get in touch with an operator who will help determine if a call to emergency medical services is needed. For added peace of mind, a number of companies offer equipment that can automatically detect when the wearer has fallen.
Wednesday, January 20th
2021 Medical Alert System Reviews
Medical Guardian
Medical Guardian has been protecting seniors and others with affordable medical alert systems for more than three decades. Their five plans offer a wide variety of options, including in-home and mobile capabilities, with no fees for equipment and no required contracts. Customers rave about the rapid emergency response and the quality of the service. Medical Guardian continues to earn our highest ranking.
Bay Alarm Medical
Bay Alarm Medical is a family owned business that started in 1946. This company provides top notch medical alert equipment as well as flexibility in products and payment terms to meet just about anyone's needs. Two USA based monitor areas service customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no upfront fees, installation costs, or contracts.
Mobile Help
MobileHelp offers strictly-cellular medical alert systems and is the only company we found that offers a "smart watch" based option for those who want discreet mobile protection. They're a little newer to the industry, but they've already earned an A+ rating with the BBB and numerous positive customer reviews. MobileHelp is a good choice for medical alert services.
Life Fone
LifeFone has been in business for over 40 years and offers some unique add-ons to their three medical alert systems, such as daily check-in calls and medication reminders. Although their monthly pricing can be higher than some competitors', discounts are available with prepaid packages and a 30-day money-back guarantee keeps your purchase risk-free even on those paid-in-advance plans. LifeFone has a great reputation for responsive monitoring services and is one of our higher-ranked providers of medical alert systems.
Philips Lifeline
Philips doesn't just make electronics: their Lifeline medical alert systems have garnered respect on the market with thousands of satisfied customers. You'll probably pay more for their systems than you would with some of their competitors, but clients who've used the Lifeline service for years would tell you that the quality of the emergency response team makes the extra money well worth it. Philips Lifeline is worth considering if you want the security of using a well-known company.
Life Station
LifeStation has two main medical alert systems: in-home and mobile. Both plans can include Fall Detection if needed. Their reputation with the BBB is solid, and they have a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. They're also one of the only services to offer 24/7 customer service in addition to monitoring. However, their pricing is only available if you call, and you may have to put up with some pressure to offer your credit card information to put a hold on "limited time" deals.
Rescue Alert
Rescue Alert is headquartered in Utah and has an excellent reputation with the BBB and their customers. They offer three main packages for medical alert systems, two of which offer fall detection upgrades if desired. Their pricing structure can be confusing; customers can choose between renting the equipment for a higher monthly fee or buying it upfront and paying lower fees for monitoring. It's also important to note that their 24/7 monitoring is done in-house, at a single location.
ADT
ADT is a household name for home protection, and their three medical alert systems are a nice complement to their well-known security systems. They offer two in-home systems and one mobile alert device, and their pricing is reasonable but somewhat inconsistently listed on the ADT website. The company maintains an A+ rating with the BBB and is a trusted choice for a medical alert system.
Life Alert
Life Alert made itself famous in the 80s with its tagline of "I've fallen and I can't get up!" This company has a well-established reputation for high-quality service across decades in the medical alert systems market. But, their prices are much higher than other services, and you'll have to jump through a lot of hoops to find out what you'll pay.
Alert 1
Alert1 is a sister brand of medical alert systems company ResponseLINK, but they take their offerings one step further by adding packages and equipment not available with the other provider. Unfortunately, they share the same billing and service issues, with no 30-day money-back guarantee unless customers prepay - and with many customers reporting big hassles with actually getting a refund on prepaid plans, Alert1 may not offer the kind of peace of mind people want.
Response Link
Alert1 is a sister brand of medical alert systems company ResponseLINK, but they take their offerings one step further by adding packages and equipment not available with the other provider. Unfortunately, they share the same billing and service issues, with no 30-day money-back guarantee unless customers prepay - and with many customers reporting big hassles with actually getting a refund on prepaid plans, Alert1 may not offer the kind of peace of mind people want.
Continued from above...
There are a wide variety of choices when it comes to medical alert systems: some services that have been on the market for many years, and others that are newer to the industry. When shopping around for the right product for yourself or for a loved one, you may find a straightforward, easy-to-use website that clearly explains your options. On the other hand, some companies still rely on pushy sales tactics that won't give you much information unless you speak with a representative.
As you compare the various medical alert systems currently available, there are several aspects to keep in mind:
- Cost. How much will you spend for equipment and monitoring fees?
- Variety of Productsand Services. Can you get the coverage you need? Does the business offer upgrades like fall detection?
- Cellular vs. Landline. If you or your loved one doesn't have a landline, can they still use the system? Or will you need to incur the extra expenses of installing a landline and paying for a phone plan?
- Ordering Process. Can you easily shop the site and get what you need on your own terms, or will you have to work with a representative in order to start service?
- Contracts. Will you have to sign a lengthy service contract for the medical alert system? Can you cancel the service if it doesn't meet your expectations or the user no longer needs it?
- Reputation. What do other customers say about the company, the equipment, the service, and the attitude of company representatives? Does the business have a rating with the BBB?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best medical alert systems on the market today. We hope these reviews give you the information you need to select the medical alert service that will give you or your loved one extra safety and peace of mind.
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