Help, one button away.
Six questions, and we'll tell you which system fits.
Who is this for?
Question 1 of 6 · about a minute
How it works
Three steps, no sales pitch.
Answer six questions
Where the day is spent, whether there's been a fall, what someone would realistically agree to wear. Nothing medical, nothing invasive.
We narrow the field
Your answers are matched against the providers we compare, on coverage, battery life, fall detection and contract terms.
A specialist walks you through it
One short call covering what fits and what it costs. Nothing is ordered on the call, and you decide in your own time.
The first real decision
In-home, or on-the-go?
Almost every other question follows from this one. It comes down to how much of the week happens outside the front door.
In-home system
A base station plus a pendant or wristband, on a monthly plan.
- The cheaper of the two, month to month
- Loud two-way speaker you can hear from the floor
- Pendant battery lasts years, not days
- Covers the garden and garage on most systems
Right if most of the day happens at home and someone else drives to appointments.
Mobile system
A cellular device with GPS, worn or carried, on a monthly plan.
- Works anywhere with cell coverage
- GPS gives dispatchers a location
- Family can check in from an app
- Smartwatch versions don't read as medical
Right if there's still driving, dog-walking, or real time spent away from the house.
Not sure? You don't have to choose. Bundled plans put a home base and a mobile unit on one subscription, which usually costs less than two separate accounts. The quiz works out whether that applies to you.
Methodology
What we look at, so you don't have to.
Every provider is compared on the same five criteria, and the same criteria apply whether or not a provider pays us. Rankings don't move because someone advertises.
Our reviews are built from each provider's published specifications and plan terms. We haven't tested these systems hands-on, and we say so rather than implying otherwise.
-
Monitoring
Monitored around the clock from the United States, with a backup if one centre goes down.
-
Total cost of ownership
Activation and equipment fees, paid add-ons and cancellation terms, not just the monthly rate.
-
Equipment & coverage
Published range, battery life, water resistance, and whether fall detection is offered.
-
Contract terms
Lock-in, early termination fees, and how cancellation works.
-
Support & caregiver tools
Whether family can check in remotely, and what comes beyond the button.
Guides
Read before you buy.
What happens when you press the button
The full chain, from pendant to dispatcher to the ambulance at the door, and where the seconds go.
6 min read
Is fall detection worth the extra cost?
It misses some falls and invents others. Here's when the trade is clearly worth it, and when it isn't.
5 min read
Does Medicare pay for this?
Original Medicare doesn't. Some Advantage plans and Medicaid waivers do. How to find out which applies to you.
7 min read
Questions
The ones people ask.
Does Medicare cover a medical alert system?
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not. It classifies these systems as a convenience rather than durable medical equipment, so there's no benefit to claim.
Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans do cover them, either fully or as a supplemental benefit, and many state Medicaid waiver programs cover them for people who qualify. Call the number on the back of your plan card and ask specifically about "personal emergency response systems." Full guide here.
What happens in the seconds after I press the button?
The device opens a two-way voice line to a monitoring center. Expect 20 to 45 seconds to a live operator at the providers we rank. The operator speaks to you through the base station or the pendant itself.
If you answer and it's minor, they can call a neighbour or family member instead of 911. If you don't answer, they dispatch emergency services to your address and call your contact list, staying on the line until help physically arrives.
Do I need a landline?
No. Every provider we rank offers a cellular version of its in-home system that runs on a built-in mobile connection with no phone line and no internet. It usually costs a little more than the landline model.
If you do still have a landline, that version is slightly cheaper and just as reliable, but it stops working if the phone line is cut or goes down.
What if I fall and can't press the button?
That's what automatic fall detection is for. The pendant's accelerometer recognises the motion signature of a fall and opens the call on its own.
It is not perfect. No sensor catches every fall: a slow slide to the floor is harder to detect than a hard impact, and a dropped pendant can set off a false alarm. It costs extra on top of monitoring at every major provider. We go through the trade-off here.
Am I signing a contract?
With most providers, no. Month-to-month is now the industry standard, and you can cancel with 30 days' notice and return the equipment.
A small number of companies still require a multi-year commitment with an early termination fee. We don't match you with those without saying so plainly. If a salesperson pushes a three-year agreement, there is almost always an equivalent system available without one.
What happens after I answer the questions?
You'll see what we matched you on, and we'll email you the comparison. A specialist calls at the time you pick to go through the options and answer what the websites don't.
Nothing is ordered on that call. You can also tell us email only, and we won't phone you at all.
How do you make money, and does it change what you recommend?
We're paid by the providers we match people with. That's disclosed on every page.
The scoring weights are set before we evaluate anyone and applied identically to partners and non-partners. Commercial relationships can affect which providers we have enough access to review in depth. They do not move a score. Full disclosure.
Six questions. About a minute.
You'll come away knowing what fits, and a specialist can walk you through the numbers on the phone.