Medical Guardian Review 2024

Key Takeaways

• All devices, except for the MGClassic, require a one-time equipment fee ranging from $149 to $199.
• Fall detection is not included with any Medical Guardian device, but it can be added for an extra $10 per month.
• Most Medical Guardian devices can be used anywhere in the U.S. with a 4G cell network.

Packages and Pricing

Medical alert systems aren’t free, and all of us worry about the bottom line. So let’s start by considering Medical Guardian’s various packages and just what you’ll pay for each one.

Most Medical Guardian plans require you to make a one-time equipment purchase of $149 or $199. Once you’ve made this initial investment, all the devices belong to you. You then pay a monthly subscription fee for monitoring. The one exception to this pricing system is the MGClassic package. For a monthly fee of $32.95, you get monitoring and equipment with no upfront costs. No surprise that this is among Medical Guardian’s most popular packages.

Here’s a complete rundown of all the packages and plans.

It’s good to have options, and Medical Guardian gives you plenty. If you want a more detailed overview of pricing for each system, we recommend checking out our Medical Guardian price guide.

There’s something to be said for simplicity as well, though. If you’re someone who finds too many choices overwhelming, you might want to check out our Bay Alarm Medical review. Bay Alarm offers several in-home and on-the-go systems, but not as many as Medical Guardian does.

Expert Examined

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

“In my experience, well-intentioned family members that are comfortable with technology may get a medical alert system (MAS) that has a variety of features that THEY think they will find useful, but if the user is intimidated by them or resistive to them, then the usefulness is limited. When shopping for a MAS, pay for features you and/or the intended user will actually use – with the recognition that needs will likely change over time – rather than paying for all the features just because they’re available.” Read more about Christopher Norman →

Choosing Options and Apps

Ordering a Medical Guardian alert system is straightforward. The company keeps its website simple and easy to navigate. As we mentioned, there are different systems to choose from, but we were drawn to the MGMove, Medical Guardian’s smartwatch. The device is discreet – it resembles popular smartwatches, even though it’s not a true smartwatch. But, it contains all the safety features you need to keep you or your loved ones safe, and it gives you the freedom to take that protection anywhere.

However, note that some safety features require an additional monthly fee. This came as a surprise to us, because we thought the smartwatch offers messaging and reminders. But when we tried those features out, we got the prompt pictured above instead. We eventually added those features for $5 per month, which we think is a fair price, but we hoped Medical Guardian was clearer about it.

Speaking of paying additional monthly fees, there are several available add-ons in addition to messaging and reminders on the MGMove smartwatch. You can add features like alerts sent to a caretaker or family member’s phone in the event of an emergency, a direct connection to 911 services, automatic fall detection, and even a code-protected lockbox to be placed outside your door so emergency responders can enter your house. We find those add-ons fairly priced, ranging from $2.99 to about $10 per month.

Below is an overview of all the add-on equipment you can order for any Medical Guardian device. Most of the features and add-ons can be used with different devices, but they’re not universally compatible with all of them.

Expert Examined

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

“In the case of a fall or history of falling, many people have told me that the fear of falling is worse than whatever pain was experienced during the actual fall. There are lots of levels to this: anatomical (whether or not a body part is injured or broken), psychological (threatened independence), emotional (fear), and even cultural (how we generally as a society fear and revile aging as a time when we get weaker or lose the things we love). Any intervention that can lessen the multi-layered concerns that accompany falling is worth investigating in my book.”

Ordering Medical Guardian

Buying Experience

We actually ordered three different Medical Guardian packages at different times in order to test how quickly each one would arrive. Here’s a quick overview of how many days each one took to arrive and the shipping options provided by Medical Guardian.

You may have a large timeframe for ordering a medical alert system, but there are those occasions when customers have to get a system and get it set up quickly. Life comes at all of us fast, and you just never know when a loved one’s health care needs may change. With this in mind, it’s worth knowing that Medical Guardian can get your system to you overnight and with second-day shipping if you need it, but it cannot guarantee this time frame over holidays. It so happens that we ordered our MGMini over Fourth of July, and we were surprised to find it on our porch earlier than expected. So, kudos for that.

We went into the purchase knowing exactly what we wanted. If you’re unsure which system is the best fit for you, however, Medical Guardian offers a product quiz. The test is concise, quick, and helpful if you’re on the fence. The company also has a separate landing page full of buying advice, FAQs, statistics, price comparisons, reviews, and customer-support options.

Installation Process

We had to wait once our devices arrived to get them set up and working. That’s typical. They need to be charged first. Once we got past that hurdle, the setup itself was straightforward. The boxes include QR codes. We scanned those and followed the simple instructions. You can also visit the Medical Guardian website to get things working, or, if you prefer doing things old-school, you can call customer support directly and let them talk you through the process.

Other than finding an appropriate spot to plug the equipment in, installation just involves entering your product number, providing some basic subscriber information, and choosing a payment option for your monthly subscription. The whole thing took us less than five minutes.

At that point, we were ready to power up our devices and do a little testing.

Response Time

When we tested our MGMove and MGMini, it took around 23 seconds to call, dial, and connect to help. When we conducted our first test, we were connected to a live human. After that, all we got was a robo agent or interactive voice response (IVR) system. That was a bit concerning considering the extra time it would take to reach a real human in case of an actual emergency.

Things got a bit complicated when we tested our MGHome 2.0, but, if anything, our experience made us trust Medical Guardian even more.

When we tested our home device, it rang but never connected to an agent. We then pressed the call button two more times without success. Several minutes passed as we tried to research the issue online, when we noticed a few missed calls from an unknown number.

Being the security experts we are, we immediately decided they were spam calls. A light went on, however, when we noticed another incoming call from the same number. Could it be from Medical Guardian? We answered, and it was indeed an agent.

Since so much time had passed, they had flagged our test as an emergency and dispatched help. With an agent on the line, they did their best to get in touch with the main call center to dismiss the help, but our local sheriff had a different idea.

Around 30 minutes after we initiated the “failed” tests, we got a knock on our door from a couple of officers conducting a wellness check. That’s good on them and Medical Guardian for pushing it through.

What exactly went wrong? Well, we spent 17 minutes and 29 seconds on the phone with support to get the problem fixed. Turns out, our box was having connectivity issues, which caused the calls to drop. After resetting it, all was well, but the event gave us pause. Maybe this was a problem with setup, maybe it was a problem with the device itself, but either way, we’d definitely suggest testing your system out as soon as it arrives.

The whole debacle had one positive: by the time we were through with the whole thing, we knew that we’d never have to worry about getting help when we needed it. Even if the connection drops, we’re protected. Of course, our emergency contacts all showed up once they were notified, and we had to explain the situation to all of them, but that reminded us that others are watching out for our wellbeing, and that’s never a bad thing.

MyGuardian App

We love a good app, and the MyGuardian app is good. It allowed us to access and monitor all aspects of our system, something you want in an app. Even better, though, it was intuitive and easy to use. No arbitrary menu categories, no weird verbiage, no confusing options, and no tiny text. Perfect for seniors. Ultimately, it gave us the ability to keep all our devices organized and provided us with an overview of the system as a whole.

Depending on the system you have, the features and options available may change slightly. You won’t get to see your step counter or messages on your MGHome, for example, but you would on your MGMove. What doesn’t change is access to your billing portal, emergency contacts and caregivers, and customer support. No matter which system you have, the app will definitely come in handy.

Current Medical Guardian Deals

Medical Guardian offers deals around holidays and new seasons. We’re in between deals at the moment, but it’s possible to get up to fifty percent off systems. We recommend visiting the Medical Guardian site regularly. You can never tell when a sale might pop up quickly and go away just as quickly.

Reading the Fine Print

The fine print isn’t always the most exciting, but it’s always important. You wouldn’t want to order a medical alert system you depend on without knowing the legalities behind it, right? Here’s a rundown of fine-print items such as contracts and warranties. We made this short, sweet, and painless to read.

Contracts

You may be happy to know that Medical Guardian does not require contracts for any of its subscriptions or equipment purchases. All its products come with a required monthly subscription, but it can be canceled at any time. You own the product you purchase forever, but you are able to return it within 14 days of the start of your service for a full refund.

Warranties

Medical Guardian has a free manufacturer’s warranty that is active as long as you have a subscription. It also offers product warranties that protect against defects in materials and workmanship for up to one year after your purchase. Some products, including the MGMove, also come with a 90-day warranty that covers technical issues and malfunctions.

Bottom Line

Maybe the best thing about Medical Guardian is that it has medical alert options for everyone – seniors, individuals with medical conditions, people prone to falling, and anyone who wants extra monitoring and peace of mind. Likewise you can get great devices whether you’re a confirmed homebody looking for 24/7 monitoring or an active on-the-go senior who needs protection while you’re out on the town.

All steps, from purchase to setup and beyond, are straightforward and intuitive. Medical Guardian devices are designed to be simple and efficient, so you’ll rarely be confused about a system’s functionalities or what you can do with a device. In our experience, customer-support agents were friendly and ready to help, no matter the day or time. We liked that they were patient even when we had a hiccup with one of our tests.

Overall, we recommend Medical Guardian because of the variety it offers across devices, as well as its 24/7 monitoring, affordability, and ease of use. You can also take most devices anywhere in the U.S. that has a 4G cell network. Even the devices that require a landline can be set up in any state.

Frequently Asked Questions