ADT Medical Alert System Review 2024

Key Takeaways

• ADT’s medical alert systems have no equipment fees, but its subscriptions are expensive.
• No ADT medical alert system automatically includes fall detection. It costs an additional $11 per month.
• ADT has three medical alert systems: On-The-Go, Medical Alert Plus, and Medical Alert Basic.

Expert Examined

From Christopher Norman, a Board-Certified Geriatric Nurse Practitioner with the National Council on Aging (NCOA)

“Most people enjoy enough mobility to come and go as they please, so I typically steer people toward medical alert system (MAS) options that have versatility that matches their lifestyle. The best MAS is the one that fits the person who needs the MAS, not the other way around. More expensive or complex does not always equal better if the MAS doesn’t fit the person’s needs or lifestyle.” Read more about Christopher Norman →

Packages and Pricing

ADT medical alert system devices

Two of the three medical alert systems ADT supports are intended for in-home operations, while the third is for people who are more mobile. The mobile option is the On-The-Go plan, which allows users to have medical alert system protection outside the house. The other medical alert systems are designed for in-home use. The main difference between Medical Alert Basic and Medical Alert Plus is the landline requirement for the former.

ADT’s subscription plans are priced higher than average. The good news is you won’t have to pay any device fees unless you’re buying add-ons, such as extra buttons or wristbands.

The bad news is the subscription prices start at $26.99 per month, and the quarterly and yearly payment plans don’t offer much of a discount. You’ll also have to pay a one-time $99 activation fee. Here’s an overview comparing each system.

Features and Accessories

ADT medical alert system add-ons

One of our favorite aspects of ADT’s medical alert systems is the benefits present across all devices and subscription plans. Each device offers a rapid response to a 24/7 professional call center based in the United States, and each plan also comes with two-day shipping, a premium warranty, and a rate guarantee (which means your initial subscription price will never increase).

The most expensive — but most durable — option is undoubtedly ADT’s On-The-Go plan. It gives you access to a medical alert system that works wherever you are in the country, without a landline. Even better, the On-The-Go device comes with a built-in GPS function, making it easier for emergency services to find your location.

The best at-home system ADT offers is the Medical Alert Plus. No landline is required for Medical Alert Plus, which means you don’t have to deal with the constant hassle of wires and additional equipment. Medical Alert Plus even monitors the temperature in your home, keeping track of potentially dangerous changes in your home environment.

Finally, there’s the Medical Alert Basic option, which is the most bare-bones when it comes to features. The system requires a landline and, like the Medical Alert Plus, also features home-temperature monitoring. The only big drawback with the Basic as opposed to the Plus is that fall detection cannot be added.

Below is a summary of the main features of each plan.

• On-The-Go
  • Mobile base unit
  • No landline required
  • Fall detection (optional)
  • GPS location capabilities
  • Pendant options available
  • ForeveRate guarantee
  • Premium protection plan
  • Two-day shipping
  • 24/7 professional and U.S.-based monitoring
• Medical Alert Plus
  • In-home operations
  • No landline required
  • Fall detection (optional)
  • Home-temperature monitoring
  • Pendant options available
  • ForeveRate guarantee
  • Premium protection plan
  • Two-day shipping
  • 24/7 professional and U.S.-based monitoring
• Medical Alert Basic
  • In-home operations
  • Landline required
  • Home temperature monitoring
  • ForeveRate guarantee
  • Premium protection plan
  • Two-day shipping
  • 24/7 professional and U.S.-based monitoring

ADT also offers accessories that can be purchased for an additional fee. We think the automatic fall detection feature is an essential add-on. Whenever someone has a serious fall, they could become unconscious or unable to press their button. Fall detection alleviates that by automatically detecting when an individual falls. The sensor doesn’t recognize falls 100 percent of the time, but it’s still so important that it should be baked into all medical alert subscriptions.

Expert Examined

From Christopher Norman, a Board-Certified Geriatric Nurse Practitioner with the National Council on Aging (NCOA)

“With the right support system (and also the right features!), an alert system can provide peace of mind for caregivers and the person with the impairment. But if the thinking is that an alert system by itself will be enough to prevent all accidents, this is likely unrealistic.”

Other extras you can purchase with your ADT subscription include additional wristbands and pendants, waterproof wall-mount buttons, lockboxes, and leather cases. You can find a complete breakdown of each add-on in the table below.

Ordering ADT Medical Alert Systems

Buying Experience

ADT medical alert system plans

ADT has been selling security for long enough to know how to market its products. The company is regularly at the top of our list of the best home security systems — and for good reason. When we test ADT security systems, the entire process is easy. That’s the case for its medical alert systems too. The whole process didn’t take more than 10 minutes.

There are, however, a few surprises we noticed when purchasing our devices. For one, the website advertises monthly pieces as low as $26.99. When reading the fine print, we saw that this is the hypothetical value of what someone would pay for a yearly subscription rather than an actual monthly fee. That’s a trick a lot of subscription services use, and it seems disingenuous. ADT could also be more transparent about the $99 activation fee for its devices.

Installation Process

Activation fee aside, setting up your ADT medical alert system shouldn’t take longer than it did to purchase it. The more high end the system you purchase, the more seamlessly you’ll be able to set it up.

The most time-intensive system is the Medical Alert Basic, because of its landline component. Even that shouldn’t take more than 30 to 45 minutes though. If setting up your new device is proving to be too much of a challenge, however, ADT has several FAQs on its website that should point you in the right direction.

Response time

ADT medical alert system promise to seniors

We reached a representative within a minute during all our tests of ADT’s medical alert systems.

We weren’t actively in the middle of a medical emergency when we tested them, but we (safely) threw ourselves on the floor a few dozen times. Both the standard button press and the fall detection worked as intended, and we were able to reach ADT’s call centers quickly.

Does ADT’s Medical Alert System Have an App?

This is where ADT’s medical alert systems lag behind the competition. Unlike many other medical alert services, ADT’s devices do not have a dedicated app.

That’s strange, given that ADT already has several apps for a variety of its services. There’s no way to access the medical alert devices through any of the existing apps as far as we can tell. Having an app can add an extra layer of protection to a medical alert system, so it’s a shame that a company as experienced as ADT doesn’t take advantage of that.

Current ADT Medical Alert System Deals

The per-month price of ADT’s medical alert systems becomes cheaper if you opt for a quarterly or yearly billing plan, but you’re not saving that much money by doing so. Quarterly plans save $24 a year and yearly plans save $60 a year. Since you’re not saving all that much, we recommend a monthly plan for ADT’s medical alert services. That way you can cancel anytime without spending a ton of money up front on a quarterly or yearly option.

Reading the Fine Print

Now for an important — but boring — part: the fine print. We’ve discussed some lack of transparency with ADT’s pricing, such as the yearly price that looks like a monthly price and the surprise activation fee. Is there anything else you should know about ADT’s contracts and warranties? We read through them to find out.

Contracts

No contract is required for ADT’s medical alert systems. All you’ll need to do is keep up to date with the subscription plan you’ve purchased. You can cancel your subscription at any time, and you’ll be able to continue using it through your last billing period.

Warranties

ADT medical alert system premium protection plan

Every ADT medical alert subscription comes with a premium warranty at no additional cost, but what exactly does it do? For nearly all types of damages in need of repair (including dropping the device), ADT will replace it at no additional cost. The premium warranty, however, has some notable limits.

For wear and tear, power surges, manufacturing defects, and battery defects, ADT will replace it as many times as needed. For dropping, water damage, or temperature damage, ADT will replace only one base unit and two accessories per calendar year. The premium warranty does not offer coverage for lost or stolen items.

Bottom Line

ADT medical alert system emergency services

From a functionality standpoint, ADT’s medical alert systems get the job done. We were impressed by how quickly and efficiently each device responded, and the service provided was exceptional. It also helps that buying and setting up each system is a breeze.

Where ADT’s medical alert systems falter a bit is their price and lack of competitive features. A baked-in warranty and a rate guarantee are great, but with services that are more expensive than their competitors, we expect these extras. A fee of $30 to $40 a month is hefty, and the quarterly and yearly options won’t save you much. ADT is also missing some bells and whistles that its competitors have, most notably the lack of a dedicated app.

Do we recommend ADT’s medical alert systems? Overall, yes. The product works well. But we also recommend exploring other options, because there are alternatives that offer more advantages at a lower cost. For instance, Bay Alarm Medical’s pricing starts at $19.95 per month for an in-home system. We tested Bay Alarm Medical’s SOS Smartwatch for $35 per month.

Frequently Asked Questions