Does Medicare cover medical alert systems?
Original Medicare generally does not. Several other programmes sometimes do, and they are worth checking before you pay out of pocket.
The short answer. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not generally pay for a medical alert system. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer one as an extra benefit, some state Medicaid programmes cover one through home and community-based services waivers, and veterans, long-term care policyholders and people leaving hospital sometimes have other routes. Coverage depends on your plan, your state and your circumstances, so confirm it directly before you buy.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B): generally no
Medicare Part B covers durable medical equipment when a doctor orders it for use in your home. Medicare's own definition says the equipment has to be durable, used for a medical reason, typically only useful to someone who is sick or injured, used in the home, and expected to last at least three years.[1]
A medical alert system is monitoring equipment rather than treatment, and it is not the kind of item that definition is built around. It does not appear in Medicare's coverage of durable medical equipment, and it is not generally paid for under Original Medicare. If you want a definitive answer for your own situation, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare Advantage (Part C): sometimes
Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers, and Medicare notes that they "may cover some extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn't".[2] A medical alert system is one of the extras some plans include, either fully covered or at a reduced cost.
Do not assume yours does. Supplemental benefits vary by insurer, plan and county, and they change from year to year. KFF's analysis of 2026 plans found that several categories of extra benefit were offered to fewer enrollees than in 2025.[3] Two neighbours on different Advantage plans can get completely different answers.
What to ask. Call the member services number on the back of your card and ask: "Does my plan cover a personal emergency response system, or PERS, as a supplemental benefit? If so, which vendors are covered, and is there a copay?" Using the term PERS helps, because "medical alert" is marketing language a representative may not recognise.
Medicaid: possibly, depending on your state
Medicaid's Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers exist for people who prefer to get long-term care "in their home or community, rather than in an institutional setting", and let states offer a combination of medical and non-medical services.[4] Some states include a personal emergency response system among those services. States also set their own target groups and eligibility criteria, so whether one is available to you depends on your state and your waiver.
Your local Area Agency on Aging can tell you which programmes apply where you live and whether you are likely to meet the income and functional criteria. Their help is free, and you can find yours through the Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration for Community Living, or by calling 1-800-677-1116.[5]
Other routes worth checking
- Veterans Affairs. Veterans enrolled in VA health care who have a medical need for a device may be eligible for equipment through the VA's Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service.[6] Whether a medical alert system is available to you is decided case by case, so ask your VA primary care team or social worker.
- Long-term care insurance. Some policies reimburse a personal emergency response system as a covered service. Check your policy's schedule of benefits or call the insurer.
- Area Agencies on Aging. Some run local assistance programmes, including for people who do not qualify for Medicaid.
- Hospital discharge planning. If a system is arranged as part of discharge planning after an admission, ask the discharge planner whether any of the cost is covered before you leave.
If nothing covers it
Then you are paying for monitoring out of pocket, and the ways to reduce the cost are straightforward:
- Ask about annual billing. Some providers discount a year paid up front. Ask what the annual price works out to per month before you commit.
- Ask whether an activation or equipment fee can be waived. Where one exists, it is worth asking about.
- Choose in-home over mobile if you are home most of the time. Mobile coverage usually costs more, and you would be paying for capability you would not use.
- Add a second button rather than a second account if two people in the house need one. See covering two people.
Our 2026 rankings compare six providers on fees, contract terms and equipment, and our MobileHelp review covers the provider we rank highest for two-person households.
Watch for Medicare scams
If someone calls claiming to be from Medicare and offers you free or Medicare-covered equipment, treat it as a scam. The Federal Trade Commission is direct about it: "No one from Medicare will call you with such an offer."[7] Hang up, do not give out your Medicare number, and report it to the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or to 1-800-MEDICARE.
Sources
Checked September 2026. Coverage rules and plan benefits change; confirm with the programme or your plan before relying on them.
- Medicare.gov — Durable medical equipment (DME) coverage
- Medicare.gov — What's not covered by Original Medicare
- KFF — Medicare Advantage in 2026: premiums, out-of-pocket limits, supplemental benefits and prior authorization (published June 2026)
- Medicaid.gov — Home and Community-Based Services 1915(c)
- Administration for Community Living — Eldercare Locator
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (eligibility)
- Federal Trade Commission — Back brace scams target people on Medicare
We are paid when a reader is matched to a partner provider. It does not affect what we recommend. See our advertiser disclosure and methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.