+Medical Alert Review

Does Medicaid pay for a medical alert in District of Columbia?

By Carol Bennett, Senior EditorUpdated How we evaluate

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The short answer

Yes. District of Columbia's Elderly and Individuals with Physical Disabilities (EPD) Waiver lists a medical alert.

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What stands out in District of Columbia

District of Columbia's Elderly and Individuals with Physical Disabilities (EPD) Waiver lists a medical alert

Medicaid calls it a PERS.

Programs for older adults
ProgramWho it servesMedical alert?Source
Elderly and Individuals with Physical Disabilities (EPD) WaiverAge 65+, or 18-64 with a physical disability, needing ADL helpLists a medical alertRead the sourceChecked October 12, 2026
What it says
“Personal Emergency Response Services (PERS) – PERS is a system that summons assistance from a friend, relative, or an emergency services provider (police, fire, or ambulance).”

One phone call starts the application

Call DACL Aging and Disability Resource Center (Medicaid/waiver application help): 202-724-5626

Ask for a “personal emergency response system” under the Elderly and Individuals with Physical Disabilities (EPD) Waiver. What else to ask

No Medicare Advantage plan here lists a medical alert

How CMS marks these

District of ColumbiaNo plans listed

Medicare lists 62 equipment suppliers here

Home equipment, not alerts; price labels explained

Washington61 suppliers
Washington DC1 supplier

Lift chairs · Medicare and lift chairs · Adjustable beds.

40.4% of older District of Columbia residents live alone

People 65 and over who live alone
40.4%
35,240 people. Census ACS 2020-2024. Census source
Deaths from falls, age 65+, per 100,000
55.2
Age-adjusted, 2024. CDC source

All states

If nothing pays, the monthly bill is yours

Original Medicare does not pay; compare prices.

Paying yourself? Medical Care Alert

From $29.95/mo for the Home plan; without a landline, LTE cellular adds $5/mo (price page, October 1, 2026).

See Medical Care Alert plans

Affiliate link. No one else on this page paid to appear.

Questions families ask

Does Medicaid pay for a medical alert in District of Columbia?

Yes: District of Columbia's Elderly and Individuals with Physical Disabilities (EPD) Waiver lists one.

Do Medicare Advantage plans in District of Columbia cover a medical alert?

No Medicare Advantage plan in District of Columbia lists a medical alert for 2027.

Data checked October 12, 2026. How we built this · Report a correction