Does Medicare Cover Medical Alert Systems? What Medicare, Medicaid and the VA Pay For

This guide is for older adults who live alone or spend long stretches of the day by themselves, and for the family members wondering who will pay for a button to press after a fall. The one thing to know: Original Medicare won't pay for the device or the monthly monitoring, so the help, if there is any, comes from an Advantage plan, Medicaid, the VA or a local aging program.

What Original Medicare covers vs. what it does not

Medical alert systems go by several names: personal emergency response systems (PERS), emergency response pendants, or the brand name people often use for all of them, Life Alert. Here is how they fit with Original Medicare (Parts A and B) in 2026.

The $283 deductible is the 2026 Part B amount on Medicare.gov, and the ambulance rule comes from Medicare's ambulance services page.

Why Original Medicare doesn't pay for medical alert systems

Part B covers durable medical equipment (DME), such as walkers, wheelchairs and hospital beds. To count as DME, an item has to be durable, used for a medical reason, typically only useful to someone who is sick or injured, used in the home, and expected to last at least three years, according to Medicare's DME page. Medical alert systems are not on Medicare's list of covered equipment, and the monthly monitoring service is not a Part A or Part B benefit.

CMS itself treats medical alert systems as something extra. Its manual for Medicare Advantage plans lists a "Personal Emergency Response System (PERS)" as a supplemental benefit, which by definition is a benefit beyond what Original Medicare covers. A Medigap policy won't help either, because Medigap only pays toward services Original Medicare covers.

Medicare Advantage plans that include a medical alert

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans can choose to add a medical alert benefit. CMS's Medicare Managed Care Manual, chapter 4 says plans may give members in-home personal emergency response devices "designed to notify appropriate personnel of an emergency (e.g., a fall)," as long as the device is primarily health related. The same section says a PERS benefit may not include cell phones.

What that looks like in practice varies from plan to plan. When you read the plan's documents, look for:

• Whether there is a copay or monthly charge, or the device is included at no extra cost.
• Which company supplies the device and the monitoring. Plans usually work with one specific provider, and you usually can't pick a different brand and send the plan the bill.
• Whether it is an in-home unit only, or also a mobile device that works away from home.
• Whether the benefit is in every plan from that insurer or only in some, such as Special Needs Plans for people with chronic conditions or with both Medicare and Medicaid.
• Whether you need a referral, a doctor's note or prior approval before the device ships.

Benefits are set one year at a time. A plan that includes a medical alert in 2026 may drop it, change the provider or add a copay for 2027, so check again each fall when the plan mails its Annual Notice of Change.

KFF's 2026 analysis of Advantage benefits tracks many extras, such as in-home support (10% of individual-plan enrollees) and meals (65%), but it does not report how many plans include a medical alert. The only reliable way to know is to check your parent's own plan documents.

Does Medicaid pay for medical alert systems?

Often, yes, for people who qualify. Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers help people who would otherwise need nursing home care stay at home, and many of them cover medical alert systems. Each state designs its own program. According to Medicaid.gov, states choose the services and the maximum number of people a waiver will serve, which is why some programs have waiting lists.

Two examples show how specific these rules get:

• Iowa's elderly waiver defines a personal emergency response system as "an electronic device that transmits a signal to a central monitoring station to summon assistance," and pays for an installation fee plus up to 12 months of service per state fiscal year (Iowa Admin. Code r. 441-78.37).
• Colorado's rules group them under "electronic monitoring," which includes personal emergency response systems and medication reminder systems, and say the waiver won't pay if the regular Medicaid plan already covers the item (10 CCR 2505-10 8.7520).

To apply, contact your state Medicaid agency or your local Area Agency on Aging. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can connect you with the right office.

Help for veterans

The VA may pay for a medical alert system for some veterans enrolled in VA health care. A resource guide from the Minneapolis VA Health Care System lists criteria such as living alone or being alone for long periods, being unable to reach emergency services after a fall, and having vision, hand or memory problems that make a regular phone hard to use. It tells veterans to discuss the device with their VA primary care provider "to see if you qualify and if the VA will pay." Rules can differ by VA medical center, so ask the local care team.

What medical alert systems cost (October 2026)

If no program pays, here is what a few well-known services list on their own websites. Prices change often and many companies run promotions, so check the current terms before signing up.

Before you buy, ask three questions: Is fall detection included or extra? Is there a contract, and what does it cost to cancel early? Do you keep or return the equipment if you stop? Companies with month-to-month plans and a written refund policy are easier to leave if the device doesn't suit your parent.

A medical alert is only one part of staying safe at home. Our guides to an elderly parent living alone and the can my parent live alone checklist cover the rest, and some families pair an alert with a smart speaker, as explained in our guide to Alexa for elderly parents. No device can prevent a fall, so it is worth asking your parent's doctor about a fall risk check too.

How to check your own plan

1. Read the Evidence of Coverage. Search it for "personal emergency response," "PERS" or "medical alert." It will say whether the plan covers a device, which company provides it, and any copay.
2. Call the plan. Use the member services number on the card. Ask whether the benefit includes fall detection, a mobile or GPS unit, and what happens if your parent changes plans next year.
3. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for help comparing plans, especially during Open Enrollment.
4. Talk to your local SHIP. State Health Insurance Assistance Programs give free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Find yours at shiphelp.org.

For more coverage questions, see the Medicare section, including whether Medicare covers pill dispensers and hearing aids.