Quick Stats:

Most Important Things To Consider	How Did Medical Alert By Connect America Do?
Pricing	Medical Alert by Connect America Review
Installation/Equipment	Free Self Installation kit +$9.50 shipping charge that's waived with an advance annual payment
Monthly Charges	$29.95/Month
Advance Payment Discounts	$89.85/Quarterly (No Discount) $179.70/Semi-Annually (No Discount) $329.45/Annually (One Month Free)
Monitoring Agreement Term	3-Month Initial Commitment
Repairs or Replacement Charges	None, Replacements Shipped
Cancellation Policy & Discounts	Medical Alert by Connect America Review
Cancel at Any Time	After Initial Commitment
Senior Discount	None
Other Discounts	Pay Annually & Receive 1-Month Free + 2nd pendant
Equipment	Medical Alert by Connect America Review
Approximate Button Range in Typical Home	Coverage For 2500 Sq. Ft. Home and About 600' Outside
Watch/Button Battery Life	Battery Will Last Approximately 5 Years
What Happens if I Lose Power	Approximately 32+ hours of Battery Backup
Is the Watch/Button Waterproof	Yes
How Can The Button Be Worn	Neck, Wrist, Belt-Clip Options
UL Certified Equipment	Yes
Does The System Automatically Test Itself To The Monitoring Center	Monthly
24 Hour Technical & Customer Support	Yes
Monitoring Station	Medical Alert by Connect America Review
CSAA Five Diamond Certified Monitoring Center	No
Typical Response Time When Button Pressed	Approximately 15 Seconds
Other Options & Information	Medical Alert by Connect America Review
How Fast Does System Ship	Orders Received by 12:00 PM EST Typically Ship Same Day
Do You Need Separate Systems For Mom & Dad	No. Pay annually & receive the second button free
Activity Monitoring Available	No

Likes:

Reasonable Service Rates – Company has competitive rates with a discount when services are paid annually.

Automatic Monthly Tests – System's console will automatically test monthly to the monitoring station. Some companies offer the preferred weekly test, but others offer no automatic testing at all.

24-Hour Support – Support is available 24 hours per day.

Flexible Monitoring Agreement - You can cancel at anytime after the first 90-days of service.

Dislikes:

Cancel at Any Time Policy – If you are not happy with your system or service, you can cancel after the first 90-days. You will be out any shipping fees paid, but any monthly fees paid in advance will be refunded (excluding the first 3-months of service).

No Activity Monitoring – Activity monitoring typically requires the user to check in with the system by pressing a button once every 24 hours. This is very beneficial as it allows you to know that your loved one is active and about each day.

No Pill Reminder Option – Having the system remind you of when to take medication is a nice feature, although not required by all. Many of these services have the main unit console provide some sort of beep reminder on regular interval to remind you of when to take your medication. The downside to this option is that it will not tell you what or how much medication to take.

No Fall Detector Option – Since diabetics can have the tendency to faint, fall detectors can be helpful because the user would be unable to press their medical emergency button.

Bottom Line:

Since 1977, Connect America has been providing medical alert monitoring services to thousands of seniors. They use industry standard UL-Listed equipment and were a 2005 top pick by Good Housekeeping. As of 2007, they are the medical alert service provider for CVS/Pharmacy.

We couldn't get a clear understanding, in conversations with a couple of sales reps, of when a second person is monitored on the same system, whether each button is assigned to each person individually. That would mean that separate medical information and instructions would be available to first responders. If that option is important to your situation, you should seek further clarification.

 

Although our experience with this company had these results, your experience may be different. If you're interested in this company's services, contact them to judge for yourself.