Every answer in the finder comes from a public record

We read government files, keep the source and the date for each row, and print nothing we could not check. When we could not confirm something, the page says so.

Reader-supported: one link on this page may earn us a commission, at no cost to you.

Five public datasets feed the finder

A build check enforces these limits. If a dataset goes past its limit, the site stops building until someone re-reads the source.

The Medicaid answer comes in plain categories

Yes, in a Medicaid program (47 states and DC)

An official program document names a medical alert, and the program serves older adults. Some states pay through a waiver, others through their regular Medicaid plan. Your parent still has to qualify.

Possibly, or only disability programs (1 state)

A program names a medical alert, but either we could not confirm it serves older adults, or it is written only for people with disabilities.

Not on the list we read (2 states)

The service list in the document we read does not name a medical alert. This is not a final no. Ask the state: services change.

What this data cannot tell you

• Whether your parent qualifies. Each program sets its own eligibility rules.
• Whether a Medicare Advantage plan will approve a device. A plan can list the benefit and still set its own rules.
• The final bill at a supplier. See the price labels below.
• Driving distance to a supplier. We sort suppliers by ZIP code, not by road.
• Cell coverage at an address. Check the FCC National Broadband Map before buying a mobile alert.
• ZIP codes for PO boxes and single businesses. They have no home area, so we show the state answer instead.

What to ask the state

1. Use the phrase “personal emergency response system”, not a brand name. That is the wording on the program documents.
2. Ask whether the specific program your parent would join covers one.
3. Ask how eligibility is assessed, and whether there is a waiting list.
4. Ask whether installation and monthly monitoring are paid separately.
5. The Eldercare Locator finds the local Area Agency on Aging by ZIP code.

Equipment suppliers sell equipment, not alerts

The supplier lists come from the CMS directory of Medicare-enrolled suppliers. They sell home equipment such as walkers, hospital beds and lift-chair mechanisms. They do not sell medical alerts.

CMS records whether each supplier accepts assignment, Medicare's term for taking the Medicare-approved amount as full payment. We show that as “Accepts Medicare's price.” A supplier that does not accept assignment may charge more than that amount.

Original Medicare does not pay

A medical alert is not on Medicare.gov's list of durable medical equipment Part B covers. Medicaid programs and some Medicare Advantage plans are the routes that can pay.

We list, we never rank

Plans and suppliers appear in alphabetical order. No plan or supplier paid to appear, and none is badged or scored. The one product link on these pages is a disclosed affiliate link for families who end up paying themselves.

Found an error? Tell us and we fix it

Use our corrections page. Include the state, the row and the source that shows the right answer. Agencies and plans are welcome to write in too.