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There are three medical alert system packages that Medical Alert by Connect America offers:
Review Summary:
Since 1977, Connect America's medical alert has been providing emergency medical alert monitoring services to thousands of senior citizens. They use industry standard UL-Listed equipment.
All of Connect America's medical alert representatives are based in the U.S. and receive medical alert monitoring training. They have 3 monitoring solutions as well as add on services such as automatic fall detection.
1. At Home Personal Emergency Response System: Traditional medical alert in-home system that uses a landline
2. At Home Cellular Based Emergency Response System: In-home system that does not require a landline
3. On The Go Mobile 365 (MobileElite): On the go coverage with GPS tracking and automatic fall detection
Pros:
No equipment or set-up charges, short-initial 3-month term with pro-rated money back if cancelled, 24-hour support, no phone line option, GPS and fall detection options. They also offer competitive monthly pricing.
Cons:
Requires initial 3-month commitment, no pill reminder option, no activity monitoring, no automatic system tests. Monitoring centers are not TMA (CSAA) Five Diamond Certified.
Rating:
Compare Device Features:
Pros & Cons To Consider |
How did Connect America do?
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| Price | Connect America Review |
Cost for Equipment | $9.50 shipping charge if paying monthly (shipping fee is waived if you pay semi-annually or annually). |
Cost Per Month | The Connect America At Home landline medical alert system is $19.95 per month if paid monthly. It's also $19.95 per month if you pay semi-annually but this option includes free shipping. It's $18.29 monthly if you pay annually and you will also receive a free lockbox, one month free and free shipping with this option. The At Home non-landline cellular option is $29.95 per month. It's $27.95 per month if you pay semi-annually which includes free shipping. It's $25.62 monthly if you pay annually and you will also receive a free lockbox, one month free and free shipping with this option. The On-the-Go Mobile option is $37.95 per month. It's $34.95 per month if you pay semi-annually which includes free shipping. It's $32.04 monthly if you pay annually and you will also receive a free lockbox, one month free and free shipping with this option. |
Advance Payment Discounts | Yes, you will receive one free month if you pay annually. |
Monitoring Agreement Term | 3-month initial commitment |
Repairs or Replacement Charges | None, replacements shipped. You can add optional insurance for $5.00/month for free replacements for one base unit device and up to 2 buttons, or $10.00/month for unlimited devices and buttons. Without an insurance plan, expect to pay upwards of $350.00 to replace lost or damaged equipment. |
| Cancellation Policy & Discounts | Connect America Review |
Cancel at Any Time | Yes, with 30-day notice after the initial 3-month commitment. Also, you get a pro-rated refund on unused services. |
Senior Discount | None |
Other Discounts | None |
| Equipment | Connect America Review |
Approximate Button Range in Typical Home | Up to 400 ft |
Watch/Button Battery Life | Battery will last approximately 2 years. Low battery signal sent to monitoring station to send replacement. |
What Happens if I Lose Power | Approximately 32 hours of backup battery |
Is the Watch/Button Waterproof | Yes |
How Can The Button Be Worn | Neck or wristband are both included. Belt-Clip option available with the On The Go MobileElite system. |
UL Certified Equipment | Yes |
Does The System Automatically Test Itself To The Monitoring Center | No, you must test monthly yourself. |
24 Hour Technical & Customer Support | Yes |
| Monitoring Station | Connect America Review |
TMA (CSAA) Five Diamond Certified Monitoring Center | No, but own monitoring center |
Typical Response Time When Button Pressed | Less than 20 seconds |
| Other Options & Information | Connect America Review |
How Fast Does System Ship | Standard shipping time is 4-6 business days. |
Do You Need Separate Systems For Mom & Dad | No. Two buttons come with the At Home Landline system. If you want to add another or have two of the same, there is a one-time charge of $19.99 for an additional user button. |
| Optional Advanced Features | Connect America Review |
Activity or Inactivity Monitoring | No |
Senior Fall Detection | Yes, for an additional $10.00/month per person. |
Cellular or No Phone Line | Yes, with the At Home No Landline system or the On The Go MobileElite system. |
Non-GPS Mobile Alert System For Protection On The Go | Yes, with the Alert911 mobile alert 911 phone for $19.99/month. |
Smoke or Carbon Monoxide Protection | No |
GPS Medical Alert Tracking System | Yes, they have a medical alert system with GPS called On-the-Go MobileElite system. |
| Special Offers | Connect America Review |
Special Offers For Our Visitors | None at this time |
Likes:
Reasonable Fall Detection Service Rates - Connect America has competitive automatic fall detection rates.
24-Hour Support - Call center support is available 24 hours per day and all the call center representatives are based in the United States.
Flexible Monitoring Agreement - You can cancel at any time after your 3-month commitment, with 30 days notice. You get a refund of unused services and there are no cancellation fees.No Phone Line/Cellular Option - Since every household no longer has a traditional telephone line, having a reliable no phone line option is a must.
Mobile GPS Option - For seniors or even young children on the go, this may be an important and easier option for you than using your cell phone.
Fall Detector Option - Since diabetics can have the tendency to faint and falls are common among seniors, fall detectors can be helpful because the user would be unable to press their medical emergency button.
Discount for Advanced Payment- If you pay semi-annually or annually you will pay less and receive perks like free shipping.
Dislikes:
No Automatic System Tests - Some system consoles will automatically test weekly or monthly to the monitoring station, but we were told that Connect America does not offer automatic testing anymore.
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 for seniors who are not in assisted living as it allows you to know that your loved one is active and about each day. Connect America used to offer this service, but we were told that they do not now.
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.
Monitoring Center is Not TMA (CSAA) Five Diamond Certified- While we like that Connect America owns it's own monitoring center, we prefer that it be TMA (CSAA) Five Diamond Certified, ensuring that operators are consistently trained.
Bottom Line:
Connect America's medical alert system has been around since 1977 and has been providing medical alert monitoring emergency response services to thousands of seniors. They use industry standard UL-Listed equipment however their monitoring center is not TMA (CSAA) Five Diamond Certified. We were told they were given an excellence in medical alert monitoring award in 2018 but we are unable to verify this information. They are currently the medical alert service provider for the CVS/Pharmacy medical alert program and have been for several years.
You can find additional information at Connect America's website which is not as in-depth as we'd like to see it but has improved immensely over the last couple of years. When you call Connect America's sales representative, be prepared for a lengthy sales pitch, but they were not overly pushy and did share quite a bit of detail on the product. They did answer all our questions in a friendly manner.Connect America is a BBB accredited company with an A+ BBB rating at the time of this review.
Although our customer care experience with this company had these results, your experience may be different. If you're interested in this company's personal emergency response system, contact them to judge for yourself.
