Medical Guardian
- Wide selection of equipment
- Flexible payment schedule
- No trial period
- Monitoring starts at $29.95/mo.
Medical Guardian has a wide selection of equipment, great for whether you travel, stay home, or both. Pricing is mid-range with most of its packages landing under $50 per month. You can also get small discounts for paying in larger chunks semiannually or annually. Overall, Medical Guardian sticks a good middle ground with price, features, and customer service, making it among the best medical alert systems.
Medical Guardian Pros and Cons
Pros
- Landline- and cellular-based home systems
- Discounts and extras available for annual payments
- 24+ hour backup battery
Cons
- No trial period
- Add-ons necessary for larger homes
Medical Guardian Pricing
| Per Month |
| Equipment |
| Range from Base |
| Backup Battery |
| Best For |
| View Plan |
| Classic Guardian | Home Guardian | Family Guardian | Mobile Guardian | Active Guardian | Freedom Guardian |
| $29.95 | $34.96 | $79.95 | $49.95 | $39.95 | $44.95 |
| Base and wearable | Base and wearable | Base, motion sensors, door/window sensor, mobile app | GPS unit, charging cradle, wearable | Charger, wearable GPS unit | Charger, watch, mobile app |
| 1,300 ft. | 600 ft. | 1,300 ft. | 350 ft. | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 32 hr. | 30 hr. | 32 hr. | 24 hr. | 120 hr. | 48 hr. |
| Homes with landlines | Homes without landlines | Full houses | Errand runners | Frequent travelers | Tech-savvy |
| Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian |
Compared to similar medical alert services, Medical Guardian falls in the middle of the pack for pricing. Medical Guardian’s prices range from $29.95 to $79.95 per month. The most affordable medical alert systems start just shy of $25 per month, and more-expensive options can cost as much as $90 every month.
Our only major pricing problem with Medical Guardian is the Family Guardian system. This package is a hybrid of a home security and medical alert system that costs just shy of $80 per month. Its most significant advantage is the family app, but you can find similar programs through a self-installed security system for much less.
Medical Guardian Equipment
Medical Guardian has an impressive suite of equipment for active people and those who prefer to stay home. Classic and Home Guardian are best if you have mobility issues or are living alone. These systems are simple because they have one job: to call help when you need it.
GPS systems are better for younger, more active, or more mobile users. Like their home-based counterparts, they’re designed to be simple so you can get help fast. Medical alert systems like the Mobile or Active Guardian use wearable GPS technology that helps emergency responders find you quickly in an emergency.
Medical Guardian At Home
Classic Guardian
At $29.95, the Classic Guardian is Medical Guardian’s most affordable option. The price is tempting, but the package requires a landline to function and the equipment is basic. The Classic Guardian kit comes with a base station and your choice of a lanyard or wristband alert button. The base station has a single giant emergency call button and a clear two-way talk system that lets you call for help. You can call with the wearable call button from up to 1,300 feet from the base station, giving you plenty of room to roam and still get assistance.
Bottom line: Overall, the Classic Guardian is affordable and straightforward, but it only works for people with a landline.
Home Guardian
The Home Guardian comes with a base station and wearable button like the Classic Guardian. But it uses a cellular network to connect these devices, so you won’t need to connect your landline to the system. We like the 30-hour backup battery and LED screen, especially if you live in a storm-prone area where power goes out frequently. This system doesn’t have the reach of the Classic Guardian though. You can reach help through the wearable button within 600 feet of the base station, which means this option is better if you live in a small home.
Bottom line: The Home Guardian kit provides baseline cellular protection in a simple package that’s especially good for apartment dwellers or those with mobility issues.
Family Guardian
The Family Guardian package is part medical alert and part home security system. But for $79.95 per month, it’s pretty expensive for what you get. This kit includes a wireless base station, two motion sensors, one door/window sensor, and a monitoring app for family members and caretakers. We like that Medical Guardian combined the best parts of home security with medical alerts, but it costs more than most luxury-brand home security systems. If you want to keep a loved one safe at home with a similar system, it’s best to pair a DIY alarm system with a simple medical alert system.
Bottom line: The Family Guardian is expensive, but it can be helpful to have around if your aging parents live with you.
Medical Guardian On the Go
Mobile Guardian
The Mobile Guardian is a two-piece system that you can take with you anywhere. Made of a GPS module and wearable button, it’s never far away. Whether you’re shopping or relaxing, if you’re less than 350 feet away from the GPS unit, you can call for help from your wearable button. The GPS unit has a two-way communication feature that lets you speak to monitoring professionals directly to get the help you need. Both devices are waterproof too, so you can get help in the shower, when you’re swimming, or if you get caught in the rain on the way home.
Bottom line: For $49.99 month, the Mobile Guardian isn’t cheap, but its features do help sweeten the deal. Plus, you can get add-ons to your system for your home and vehicle like a wall button or car charger to improve your medical alert coverage.
Active Guardian
The Active Guardian is a wearable lanyard button with an unlimited call range. With the help of GPS and Wi-Fi location technology, you can get help from anywhere. This device is waterproof and has a battery life of five days so that it can go with you everywhere. It costs $39.95 per month (just a few dollars more than the Home Guardian), plus $10 per month if you want to add fall protection.
Bottom line: The Active Guardian costs more, but it gives active older adults the freedom to travel, run errands, and do what they like without worrying.
Freedom Guardian
The Freedom Guardian is part smartwatch and part medical alert system. It uses three location methods, and it provides reminders, alerts, and even a three-day weather forecast. The screen has large icons and can read text aloud if you have vision issues. It costs $44.95 per month for the basic package, but for $5 per month extra, you can add text-to-speech messaging, reminders, and alerts.
Bottom line: The Freedom Guardian is worth the money if you want a medical alert system that doesn’t feel like one. This unit is slick and high-tech, but just as easy to use as Medical Guardian’s other systems.
Medical Guardian Add-Ons and Upgrades
If you have a larger house or a partner who also needs care, you might want to add other devices to your system. Medical Guardian charges only $2.99 per month to add an extra lanyard, wrist button, or wall-mounted button. You can also get a voice-activated button for $5 per month extra. These devices aren’t standard in medical alert systems and can come in handy if you aren’t near the base station or your wearable button.
Each of the plans we looked into included a lockbox for annual subscribers. This device makes it easier for first responders to get into your home to help you in an emergency.
About Fall Protection
According to the NCOA (National Council on Aging), “Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.” 1 One in four Americans over 65 falls each year. Investing in fall protection for aging parents, partners, or yourself can save a life.
Medical Guardian, like most other medical alert systems, provides a fall alert pendant that activates without the press of a button. This service generally costs extra (about $10 a month), but it’s an easy, wearable way to respond quickly to a potential emergency. It may be tempting to skip this extra charge, but falls can be severe or even deadly for older adults.
Medical Guardian Customer Service
The customer service options through Medical Guardian are pretty standard. Paying customers will get access to an online portal where they can view things like account details and payments. If you have a question, check the page’s FAQ section first. From here, you can find answers on anything from Medical Guardian’s Freedom Guardian watch to how to get fall alerts.
While researching Medical Guardian, we came across mixed customer reviews. Most reviews reported friendly representatives, reliable products, and even competitive price matching. But we also saw feedback from upset customers who claimed issues like deceptive pricing. The majority of customers seemed satisfied with the quality of Medical Guardian’s customer service and equipment.
How Medical Guardian Stacks Up
| Logo |
| At-Home Packages |
| GPS Packages |
| Equipment Fee |
| Lowest Monthly Rate |
| Fall Alert |
| Trial Period |
| Learn More |
|
Medical Guardian
|
Bay Alarm Medical
|
GetSafe
|
 |
 |
 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 2 | 0 |
| None | None | $99 |
| $29.95 | $19.95 | $24.99 |
| $10/mo. | $10/mo. | $10/mo. |
| None | 30 days | 30 days |
| View Plans | View Plans | View Plans |
Data effective 07/18/2019. Offers and availability subject to change.
Medical Guardian is more expensive than GetSafe and Bay Alarm Medical, but it offers more options than the other two systems. With three stationary systems and three GPS units, customization is Medical Guardian’s most significant advantage.
GetSafe is the only company that charges for equipment. The $99 starting fee gets you a reliable system with a base station, wall button, voice-activated wall button, and a wearable for your neck or wrist. GetSafe’s is the best starting kit we’ve encountered, but the initial equipment fee can feel like a hassle when compared to the competition.
Bay Alarm Medical’s basic landline system is $10 less than Medical Guardian’s similar option, the Classic Guardian, but you’ll have to pay that $10 you saved if you want a cellular-enabled unit instead of a landline.
Medical Guardian FAQs
What is Fall Alert, and how does it work?
Medical Guardian sells a separate pendant with fall protection for $10 extra per month. But what is fall protection? These specialized pendants have additional sensors that measure impact and speed and are designed to send a signal to your base station if they hit the ground. While fall alerts aren’t 100% foolproof, they’re worth considering in a medical alert system.
Does Medical Guardian cost more than Life Alert?
From what we found, no. During our research, we compared Medical Guardian to other popular medical alert companies. The rep from Life Alert we spoke with quoted us double what Medical Guardian costs.
Does Medicare cover Medical Guardian?
Unfortunately not. Some Medicare Advantage Plans might cover it or get you reimbursement for your costs, but standard Medicare does not. Medical Guardian has a series of helpful Medicare blogs that explain how a medical alert system fits into your insurance coverage.
Conclusion
Medical Guardian isn’t cheap, but the equipment you get is impressive. For example, you can call for help with the Classic Guardian 1,300 feet (or 8.1 football fields) from the base station. Other packages, like the Active Guardian, use multiple forms of location technology to pinpoint where to send help.
If you’re set on Medical Guardian but still have money concerns, consider paying for your kit annually or semiannually for a discount. These plans throw in extra equipment and a modest price cut. While their price range doesn’t fit everyone’s needs, you get what you pay for with Medical Guardian.
How We Reviewed Medical Guardian
To get the most accurate report, we did a lot of research into Medical Guardian and other medical alert systems. We compared prices, policies, and equipment from seven popular services to see where Medical Guardian fell among them. We called sales reps and read customer reviews across the web to get the right answers. Read our full methodology to learn more about how we rank this and other products we review on SafeWise.
Related Pages on SafeWise
- The Best Home Security Systems
- Best Medical Alert Systems
- Best Medical ID Bracelets
- Room-by-Room Guide to Senior Safety
- 6 Tips for Helping Seniors in Your Family
Sources
- National Council on Aging, “Falls Prevention Facts”
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