Last updated: September 2026
The short version
Every medical alert system on HealthSelect is judged against the same five criteria. We weight them by how much they affect a real user in an emergency and over the life of the subscription — not by what’s easiest to market.
Our criteria
1. Emergency response (35%)
How fast the monitoring center answers, whether the center is U.S.-based and certified (e.g. TMA Five Diamond / UL-listed), how the device performs in a real test call, speaker volume and clarity, and fall-detection accuracy where offered.
2. Equipment and coverage (20%)
In-home range, battery life and backup, cellular vs. landline options, water resistance, GPS accuracy for mobile units, and wearable comfort (pendant, wristband, or watch form factors).
3. Pricing transparency and total cost (20%)
Monthly monitoring fee, equipment and activation fees, shipping, fall-detection add-on cost, and the true first-year and second-year total — not just the headline “from $X/month”.
4. Contract and cancellation terms (15%)
Month-to-month vs. locked contract, refund window, whether unused prepaid months are refunded, price-lock guarantees, and what happens to equipment on cancellation.
5. Support and ownership experience (10%)
Warranty, equipment replacement, customer-service hours and channels, and documented patterns in third-party complaint data (e.g. BBB, public reviews).
How we gather information
- Provider websites, published plan documents, and terms of service, captured with the date checked.
- Manufacturer specifications for equipment claims.
- Independent testing and reporting from established sources where available (e.g. NCOA, AARP, consumer testing labs), cited with links.
- Direct contact with providers for pricing and policy questions when public information is unclear.
Where we have not personally tested a device, we say so. Where a claim comes from the provider and we could not independently confirm it, we attribute it.
Keeping reviews current
Medical alert pricing and plans change often. We recheck the providers we cover at least every quarter and update the “Last updated” date on each page when we do. If you find something out of date, email hello@healthselect.online and we’ll fix it.
Our funding
HealthSelect earns affiliate commissions when readers purchase through our links. This never affects scoring or rankings. Full details on our Affiliate Disclosure page.