Coverage
Does Medicare Cover Life Alert?
- January 12, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) doesn’t cover Life Alert.®
While Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans sold by private insurance companies can offer more benefits than Original Medicare covers, medical alert systems and other personal emergency response system (PERS) systems aren't typically an added benefit.
If you are enrolled in Medicare and want to obtain Life Alert or another PERS, you may have to pay for it yourself.
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What is Life Alert?
Life Alert is a type of response system that alerts emergency providers in the case of a medical emergency. If you have Life Alert or another brand of PERS, you can wear the system all day. It usually comes as a wristband or a necklace.
If you experience an emergency, you just have to press a button and it will activate your phone, connecting you with an emergency dispatcher. You may be able to designate a specific health care provider to call, such as your caregiver or your primary care doctor.
Some advanced systems also detect movements such as a serious fall and can alert emergency services, even if you don’t press the device button.
What Life Alert costs are covered by Medicare?
Medicare Supplement Insurance plans (Medigap) also do not cover Life Alert or any other medical alert system.
Medicare Supplement plans provide coverage for some Original Medicare out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. These plans work alongside your Original Medicare benefits to help you pay for services and devices that are covered by Original Medicare.
What are other kinds of PERS systems?
Some popular personal emergency response systems include:
- Bracelets or necklaces
These wearable alert systems have a button that can be pushed during an emergency to alert a human monitor or dispatcher. Some devices can even detect when the user has fallen and will automatically dispatch help. - Speakerphones
These devices allow the user to communicate with the monitoring center so the user can describe the situation in more detail and the dispatcher can provide immediate feedback while help is on the way, all without having to reach out for or hold a traditional phone. - Cellular medical alert systems
PERS devices with cellular capabilities use a GPS to pinpoint the location of the user and send help. These devices are well-suited for seniors who drive or are otherwise mobile outside of their home. - Activity tracker systems. These systems track a user’s daily activity with the goal of improving sleeping habits, diet and exercise through monitoring.
If you want to find a Medicare Advantage plan that combines your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits into a single plan and may offer more benefits than Original Medicare covers, you can compare your local plan options online for free or over the phone with the help of a Medicare licensed insurance agent.
About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
