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Who is Medical Guardian?
Medical Guardian claims to have best in class customer service and work as a team to constantly come up with new innovative medical alert products. You can get to know all their senior leadership in the company section of their website. Medical Guardian's headquarters are in Philadelphia, PA and they use a U.S. based monitoring center that is TMA Five Diamond Certified. The monitoring center is available for emergency response 24/7 and Medical Guardian prides themselves on well trained, multilingual call center agents.
They have over 200,000 current medical alert customers who can enjoy peace of mind of medical alert coverage in and around their homes. Medical Guardian's goal is to empower their customers, who are mostly senior citizens, to age in place at home.
Review Summary
DISCLOSURE: We may receive referral fees from this company for purchases or inquiries made by you. Thanks to your support, we can maintain the website & offer you special discounts, at no cost to you.
There are seven main products that Medical Guardian alert systems offer:
Pros
Cons
No pill reminder option or carbon monoxide and smoke detection options. Monitoring center not company owned.
Rating:
DISCLOSURE: We may receive referral fees from this company for purchases or inquiries made by you. Thanks to your support, we can maintain the website & offer you special discounts, at no cost to you.
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Compare Device Features:
Pros & Cons To Consider |
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| Price | Medical Guardian Review |
Cost for Equipment | Free equipment (excluding the Freedom Guardian & Mini Guardian) and no set-up or activation or charges. Shipping is $12.50 but waived with semi- annual and annual payment plans. |
Cost Per Month | Cost per month starts at $29.95 and up. |
Advance Payment Discounts | Yes |
Monitoring Agreement Term | No contracts. Can cancel anytime. If you cancel mid-month, you will be refunded the amount you pre-paid. |
Repairs or Replacement Charges | None, replacements shipped free for defective equipment and battery replacements. Optional $7.00/month Protection Plan for damaged or lost equipment that could cost up to $350.00 to replace without it. |
| Cancellation Policy & Discounts | Medical Guardian Review |
Cancel at Any Time | Yes |
Senior Discount | No |
Other Discounts | No |
| Equipment | Medical Guardian Review |
Approximate Button Range in Typical Home | The Classic Guardian and Family Guardian systems have a 1300 ft. range. The Home Guardian system has a 600 ft. range. |
Watch/Button Battery Life | Battery will last approximately 3-5 years. Has low battery indicator. |
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 and wrist options. Can choose both when ordering but a 2nd button will cost $2.00/month. |
UL Certified Equipment | Yes |
Does The System Automatically Test Itself To The Monitoring Center | Monthly |
24 Hour Technical & Customer Support | Customer Support is available 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM EST on weekdays and 9:00AM to 5:00PM EST Monday - Saturday. The monitoring center is always available for help 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. |
| Monitoring Station | Medical Guardian Review |
TMA Five Diamond Certified Monitoring Center | Yes, but not company owned. |
Typical Response Time When Button Pressed | Approximately 30-45 seconds |
| Other Options & Information | Medical Guardian Review |
How Fast Does System Ship | Ships same day if received and processed by 3:00 PM EST |
Do You Need Separate Systems For Mom & Dad | No, but an additional button is $2.00/month. |
| Optional Advanced Features | Medical Guardian Review |
Activity or Inactivity Monitoring | Yes, with the Family Guardian |
Senior Fall Detection | Yes. With all systems except the Freedom Guardian. |
Cellular or No Phone Line | Yes. Home Guardian, Mobile Guardian, Active Guardian, Freedom Guardian, and Mini Guardian |
Non-GPS Mobile Alert System For Protection On The Go | No |
Smoke or Carbon Monoxide Protection | No |
GPS Medical Alert Tracking System | Yes. Mobile Guardian, Active Guardian, Freedom Guardian Smart Watch, and Mini Guardian |
| Special Offers | Medical Guardian Review |
Special Offers For Our Visitors | DISCLOSURE: We may receive referral fees from this company for purchases or inquiries made by you. Thanks to your support, we can maintain the website & offer you special discounts, at no cost to you. LIMITED TIME OFFER:
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Monthly Costs & Fees
Since Medical Guardian offers advanced payment discounts and other discounts mentioned above, it makes the monthly service more affordable. The only product that has an equipment fee is their new Freedom Guardian medical alert smartwatch product. Shipping is waived for annual payment members. If you would like to add fall detection to any of the systems (except the Freedom Guardian), it's an additional $10.00 per month. Also, if you have additional family members in the home that need medical alert coverage, you only need to pay an extra $2.00 per month for an additional pendant alert button. Medical Guardian has no long-term contracts and you can cancel at any time.
| Medical Guardian System | Cost Per Month | Cost Per Month Paid Annually |
Activation or Equip. Fee |
| Classic Guardian | $29.95 | $27.45 | $0.00 |
| Home Guardian | $34.95 | $32.04 | $0.00 |
| Mobile Guardian | $49.95 | $45.45 | $0.00 |
| Active Guardian | $41.20 | $44.95 | $0.00 |
| Family Guardian | $79.95 | $73.29 | $0.00 |
| Freedom Guardian | $44.95 | $41.20 | $99.00 |
| Mini Guardian | $39.95 | $36.62 | $124.99 |
What We Like About Medical Guardian
Reasonable Service Rates - Medical Guardian has competitive rates with a discount when services are paid annually.
Cancel at Any Time Policy - No long-term medical alert monitoring contract. If you are not happy with your emergency alert system or service, you can cancel and get a refund for unused months of service paid.
Activity Monitoring - Family Guardian provides advanced activity and wellness monitoring using the MyGuardian portal and the smartphone Guardian App. Activity monitoring can be extremely useful if you are worried about your loved one having an active life lifestyle or even if you need to monitor their day-to-day actions. It can alert you when there has been no activity so that emergency help or a caregiver can follow-up.
Automatic Monthly Tests - Medical Guardian's base station will automatically test monthly to the monitoring station. This means, they are spot checking that your system's connection to the monitoring center is working properly for you.
Flexible Monitoring Agreement - Since they do not have long-term contracts, you can cancel any time after your initial 3-month service period.
Cellular Option - They do offer a cellular model in case you are without traditional land-line phone service in your home.
Good Battery Life – When battery life on medical devices requires daily charging, it becomes more cumbersome for active seniors, as well as for seniors who may have cognitive decline. The Medical Guardian family of products all feature realistic battery life and charging options.
Fall Detector Option - Many seniors, including diabetics have tendencies to faint and since falls are so common among seniors, having automatic fall detection built in can be life-saving. If the emergency button senses a fall, it will automatically call into the monitoring station in case you are not able to. This is available as an add-on to all their systems except the Freedom Guardian. These services can not only give the senior quick access to first responders, but can also help family members see any trends in falling so they can follow up appropriately. Monitoring fall trends can give family members better information to tell their loved one’s physicians.
Monitoring Center Has Top Certifications - Their monitoring center gets top honors since it is UL Listed as well as TMA Five Diamond Certified. This means that their reps go through rigorous testing and are spot checked for their level of service, and also that the monitoring center maintains required back-up power systems, redundant monitoring equipment, and communication channels.
What We Dislike About Medical Guardian
Monitoring Center Not Company Owned - Although they contract with top monitoring centers, they are not company owned which would give Medical Guardian better control of the operation of the monitoring centers.
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 medical monitoring option is that it will not tell you what or how much medication to take.
No Carbon Monoxide or Smoke Detector Options - Although this is not an essential feature for a medical monitoring company to offer, all seniors should have these items installed in their home.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Medical Guardian covered by Medicare?
It’s common for older adults and their loved ones to search for what's exactly covered through Medicare. Currently, Medicare (parts A and B) do not reimburse for expenses related to medical alert devices. Some Medicare Advantage benefits could offset expenses from medical alert systems, but you would have to check with your plan administrator.
Does Medical Guardian offer monitoring based in America?
Yes. Their U.S. based monitoring service can make a big difference, especially when it comes to crisis situations where language barriers can delay treatment or intervention. Operators speak English, Spanish, and use a third party-translation system, if needed, for other languages.
Is Medical Guardian eligible for my HSA plan?
Health savings accounts are increasingly popular among older adults, but can still be a source of confusion in regards to knowing what is covered. Medical alert devices are likely covered under your HSA plan, but ensure you contact your plan administrator directly to double check.
What if I don’t have a landline?
Many people are disconnecting their landline phones and turning to their smartphones as their main means of communication. This choice does not negatively affect your Medical Guardian experience, as only the Classic Guardian requires access to a landline. You can still receive Medical Guardian services without a landline with any of the additional models.
Can I test out the Medical Guardian system for free before purchasing?
Medical Guardian does not currently offer a free trial period for their devices or systems. Fortunately, the monthly fee is reasonable and you can cancel when needed.
Can my spouse also use Medical Guardian systems and devices?
Depending on the system you choose, you can add on additional pendants or devices in order to ensure both you and your spouse have access to your Medical Guardian perks and protection.
What People Are Saying About Medical Guardian
Medical Guardian has been BBB accredited since 2009. They currently have an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. While searching for unbiased reviews we were able to find lots of satisfied customers and only an average of 10 complaints on the BBB website.
One such users describes having a hard time trying to cancel his mother's service. They never received the email instructions and had to call in several times before the issue was resolved. Medical Guardian did respond to the customer on the BBB site and acknowledged they dropped the ball and offered to refund the equipment fee as well. Another user pointed out that you will be billed starting when you place the order, not when you receive and activate it. Something to keep in mind.
There are also lots of happy customers who write about Medical Guardian's equipment saving their life or the life of someone they know. They are happy with the sense of security it provides and the exceptional customer care department team at Medical Guardian when they make an emergency call.
Bottom Line
Medical Guardian has professional, knowledgeable staff who answered all our questions when we performed this review. They also have an advanced website which provides straightforward information, so you don’t have to call and speak with a sales rep if you don’t want to.
Medical Guardian has many service options to choose from which can be overwhelming if you are not familiar with the medical alert market, however they do offer a buying guide on their website which is useful. Each product page on their website outlines the medical alert equipment you will receive and exactly how it works. They also offer the latest technology for a complete monitoring system, including no phone line cellular options, GPS, activity monitoring, and fall detection as well. Their equipment is modern looking too with the Mini Guardian being the smallest mobile device on the market and it's available in 3 colors too. There is not much to not like about Medial Guardian. If they had options for medication reminders, carbon monoxide and smoke detection monitoring, they would really have a complete medical monitoring system.
We give top marks for their monitoring center which uses two operators on calls that require emergency assistance and they are available to you in many languages. They also have top certifications such as TMA Five Diamond Certification. We do wish their monitoring center was company owned for additional control over the service.
We feel Medical Guardian is a solid choice for all your monitoring needs, so consider them when making your medical alert device decision.
DISCLOSURE: We may receive referral fees from this company for purchases or inquiries made by you. Thanks to your support, we can maintain the website & offer you special discounts, at no cost to you.
LIMITED TIME OFFER:
CALL NOW GET 1 MONTH FREE!
PROMO CODE: JULY21
Flexible Payment Options + Free Stuff!
20% Off Mini Guardian Equipment!
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Semi-Annual + Free Ground Shipping & Lockbox
- Annual + Free Month, 2nd button, Lockbox & Ground Shipping
1-800-988-8105
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.
*Medical Guardian logo is a registered trademark of Medical Guardian, LLC
Modified: 2021-07-06