+Medical Alert Review

Does Medicaid pay for a medical alert in South Carolina?

By Carol Bennett, Senior EditorUpdated How we evaluate

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The short answer

Yes. South Carolina's Community Choices Waiver and Mechanical Ventilator Waiver list a medical alert, if your parent qualifies for nursing-home-level care.

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What stands out in South Carolina

2 South Carolina programs for older adults list a medical alert

Medicaid calls it a PERS.

Programs for older adults
ProgramWho it servesMedical alert?Source
Community Choices WaiverSection 1915(c)Frail elderly (65+) and persons with physical disabilities (18-64) meeting nursing facility level of careLists a medical alertRead the sourceChecked October 13, 2026
What it says
“Other Service Personal Emergency Response System, Installation Other Service Personal Emergency Response System, Monitoring”
Mechanical Ventilator WaiverSection 1915(c)Frail elderly and persons with physical disabilities age 21+ requiring mechanical ventilation, nursing facility level of careLists a medical alertRead the sourceChecked October 13, 2026
What it says
“Other Service Personal Emergency Response System - Installation Other Service Personal Emergency Response System - Monitoring”

Programs for people with disabilities

Disability programs
ProgramWho it servesMedical alert?Source
HIV/AIDS WaiverSection 1915(c)Individuals with HIV/AIDS at risk of hospitalization level of careDoes not list oneRead the sourceChecked October 13, 2026
What it says
“Statutory Service Case Management Statutory Service Personal Care Services Other Service Attendant Care Other Service Companion Care - Agency Other Service Companion Care - Individual Other Service Home Accessibility Adaptations - Environmental Modifications Other Service Home Delivered Meals Other Service Nursing Services Other Service Pest Control Other Service Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies”

One phone call starts the application

Call CLTC (Division of Long Term Living) Centralized Intake: 888-971-1637

Ask for a “personal emergency response system” under the Community Choices Waiver. Start the application online. What else to ask

5 Medicare Advantage plans here list a medical alert

How CMS marks these

Abbeville3 plans
Aiken4 plans
Allendale3 plans
Anderson4 plans
Bamberg3 plans
Barnwell3 plans
Beaufort3 plans
Berkeley4 plans
Calhoun3 plans
Charleston4 plans
Cherokee2 plans
Chester3 plans

Medicare lists 373 equipment suppliers here

Home equipment, not alerts; price labels explained

Abbeville1 supplier
Aiken7 suppliers
Anderson11 suppliers
Aynor1 supplier
Barnwell2 suppliers
Batesburg1 supplier
Beaufort3 suppliers
Belton1 supplier
Bennettsville2 suppliers
Bishopville1 supplier
Bluffton4 suppliers
Blythewood1 supplier

Lift chairs · Medicare and lift chairs · Adjustable beds.

25.9% of older South Carolina residents live alone

People 65 and over who live alone
25.9%
258,970 people. Census ACS 2020-2024. Census source
Deaths from falls, age 65+, per 100,000
76.5
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

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Questions families ask

Does Medicaid pay for a medical alert in South Carolina?

Yes: South Carolina's Community Choices Waiver lists one.

Do Medicare Advantage plans in South Carolina cover a medical alert?

5 Medicare Advantage plans in South Carolina list a medical alert for 2027.

Data checked October 12–13, 2026. How we built this · Report a correction