Medical Guardian
- Wide selection of equipment
- Flexible payment schedule
- No trial period
- Monitoring starts at $29.95/mo.
Info current as of 05/22/20. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
The bottom line: Medical Guardian gives you options
Medical Guardian has a wide selection of equipment, great for whether you travel, stay home, or somewhere in between. Pricing for most of its equipment lands under $50 per month. Plus, you can also get small discounts for paying in larger chunks semiannually or annually.
Some of Medical Guardian’s standout equipment includes the Freedom Guardian smartwatch and the Family Guardian security system. It also offers at-home systems with waterproof wearable devices with enough range to visit the neighbors.
Overall, Medical Guardian sticks a good middle ground with price, features, and customer service, making it among the best medical alert systems in our book.
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
How we reviewed Medical Guardian
For the most accurate review, 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.
Medical Guardian pricing
Medical Guardian’s monthly prices range from around $30 to $80 per month, depending on which equipment you choose. Most packages come with a wearable alert button and a base station or GPS unit. Each of the wearables (a wristband or pendant) on 24/7, whether you’re in the shower, running errands, or relaxing at home.
| Best For |
| Per Month |
| Equipment |
| Range from Base |
| Backup Battery |
| View Plan |
|
Homes with Landlines
|
Homes without Landlines
|
Caregivers
|
Errand Runners
|
Frequent Travelers
|
Tech-savvy
|
| Classic Guardian | Home Guardian | Family Guardian | Mobile Guardian | Active Guardian | Freedom Guardian |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| $29.99 | $34.95 | $79.95 | $49.95 | $39.95 | $44.95 |
| Base unit, wearable alert button | Base unit, wearable alert button | Base, motion sensors, door/window sensor, mobile app | GPS unit, charging cradle, wearable alert button | Charger, wearable GPS unit | Smartwatch, mobile app, charger |
| 1,300 ft. | 600 ft. | 1,300 ft. | 350 ft. | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 32 hr. | 30 hr. | 32 hr. | 24 hr. | 120 hr. | 48 hr. |
| Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian |
Info current as of 05/22/2020. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Prices start anywhere from $29.95 to $79.95 per month depending on which system you choose. This lands Medical Guardian in the middle of the pack for the most affordable medical alert systems.
You can get discounts by changing your payment schedule. Medical Guardian allows you to pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually for all your systems. The lump sum is larger for yearly payments, but the systems are cheaper overall this way.
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. But that fee goes towards professional monitoring for your medical alert system and security sensors.
Medical Guardian equipment
Medical Guardian has an impressive suite of equipment for active older adults and those who prefer to stay home. If you have mobility issues, look into the Classic or Home Guardian. These systems come with a base station and a wearable that allow you to move freely around your house. You can call for help with the lanyard or wrist button or use the base station.
GPS systems are better for active, 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.
The Mobile Guardian system comes with a wearable alert button and GPS unit you’ll need to take with you at all times. The Active Guardian, on the other hand, rolls all of it into one wearable device.
Medical Guardian at home
Medical Guardian lets you choose your payment schedule. Here’s a rundown of the prices for the at-home systems.
| Classic Guardian | Home Guardian | Family Guardian | |
|
|
|
|
| Monthly | $29.95 | $34.95 | $79.95 |
| Quarterly | $89.85 | $104.85 | $239.85 |
| Semi-Annual | $179.70 | $209.70 | $479.70 |
| Annual | $329.45 | $384.45 | $879.45 |
| Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian |
Info current as of 05/22/20. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
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 giant emergency call button and a clear two-way talk system with a powerful speaker so you can call for help on the other side.
The wearable alert button has an impressive range of 1,300 feet, so you can move about your house away from the base station. You can move throughout your garden, go upstairs, or even visit the neighbors as long as it’s within range of the base station.
Bottom line: Overall, the Classic Guardian is affordable and straightforward, but it only works for people with a landline.
Home Guardian
The Home Guardian is a cellular version of the Classic Guardian, so you won’t need a landline to install it. Its backup battery and range are a little less powerful than its landline-based cousin, but it’s easier to set up and works better for smaller homes.
One of our favorite things about the Home Guardian is the add on options. While you can choose the standard wearable pendant or wristwatch, this medical alert system comes with the option for fashion pendants. For an extra $2.99 per month, you can get a fashionable medical alert necklace that looks like real jewelry.
Bottom line: The Home Guardian kit provides baseline cellular protection in a simple package 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. It comes with:
- Wireless base station
- 2 motion sensors
- 1 door/window contact sensor
- Caregiver app
- 1 wearable alert button
We like that the Family Guardian system combines the best parts of home security with medical alerts, but it costs more than most luxury-brand home security systems. If you have a loved one who lives alone and needs a security and medical alert system, Family Guardian is a good choice. But at almost $80, it may stretch your budget a bit.
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
Here’s what you need to know about Medical Guardian’s GPS medical alert buttons and their prices.
| Mobile Guardian | Active Guardian | Freedom Guardian | |
|
|
|
|
| Monthly | $49.95 | $44.95 | $44.95 |
| Quarterly | $149.85 | $134.85 | $134,85 |
| Semi-Annual | $299.70 | $269.70 | $269.70 |
| Annual | $549.45 | $494.45 | $494.45 |
| Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian | Visit Medical Guardian |
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. Of the GPS units we’ve seen from other medical alert systems, the Mobile Guardian is the only one we’ve seen with two buttons.
You’ll need to stay within range of the main unit, but it’s small enough to slip into your pocket or purse. And as long as the wearable is in range of the GPS unit (350 feet), you’ll be able to call for help from anywhere.
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. The Mobile Guardian is also compatible with the fashion pendants if you want to add a little safety to your style.
Bottom line: For $49.95 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.
Medical Guardian combines style with safety
Choose from four different styles for an additional $2.99 per month.
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: Active Guardian is a great option for busy older adults who travel and run errands. The Active Guardian costs more, but it makes independent living worth the price.
Freedom Guardian
The Freedom Guardian is a medical alert smartwatch packed with features. It uses three methods of location technology for older adults who wander or may need help outside of the house. The watch face uses large type lettering, has an easy to use SOS button, and is easy to use for older adults of any tech level. Plus, it provides a three-day weather forecast.
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. As far as other medical alert watches, the Freedom Guardian tops the list for senior-friendly features.
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 more 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 detection
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 |
| Lowest Monthly Rate |
| Trial Period |
| Fall Detection |
| At-Home |
| GPS System |
| Learn More |
|
Medical Guardian
|
Bay Alarm Medical
|
GetSafe
|
 |
 |
 |
| $29.95 | $19.95 | $24.95 |
| None | 30 days | 30 days |
| Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
| Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
| Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
No X |
| View Plans | View Plans | View Plans |
Data effective 05/22/2020. 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, but that fee gets you a whole suite of devices. 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 has 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. Fall detection is also $10 more to your monthly bill, but that’s standard across the industry.
Final word on Medical Guardian
Medical Guardian isn’t cheap, but the equipment that comes with it makes it a great value. 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.
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.
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