Medicare does not cover Life Alert and other personal emergency response system (PERS) systems.
If you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B (Original Medicare) and want to obtain Life Alert or another PERS, you may have to pay for it yourself.
Although Original Medicare doesn’t cover Life Alert, some Medicare Advantage plans (also called Medicare Part C) may cover it as an added benefit.
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.
Do some Medicare Advantage plans cover Life Alert?
Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare Part A and Part B benefits combined into one plan sold by a private insurance company. Some Medicare Advantage plans may include coverage for prescription drugs, dental, vision and wellness programs, which are not covered by Medicare.
Some Medicare Advantage plans – such as some Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans – may cover personal emergency response systems such as Life Alert.1
Some insurance providers may offer PERS coverage at no added cost, and other providers may charge a fee for the system. Plan availability, benefits and cost can vary based on your plan provider.
If you want to find a Medicare Advantage plan that covers Life Alert, you can speak with a licensed insurance agent to compare available plans in your area. Call TTY Users: 711 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get started.
Learn more about what Medicare covers
- Does Medicare Cover Transportation?
- Does Medicare Cover Lift Chairs?
- Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids?
- Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery?
1 Beaton, Thomas. (Nov. 2, 2017). Emergency Response Devices Add Value to Medicare Advantage Plan. Health Payer Intelligence. Retrieved from https://healthpayerintelligence.com/news/emergency-response-devices-add-value-to-medicare-advantage-plan.
