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Medical Guardian Medical Alert Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.9 / 5 (Excellent)
609 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
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Medical Guardian is a medical alert provider that was founded in 2005. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this company strives to offer services that are tailored to the consumer’s needs, complete with 24-hour monitoring. With its many plan options and devices, Medical Guardian stands out in the industry for product variety, the wide radius of its wireless devices, simple two-way communication, and for its 13, U.S. Based, 24/7 monitoring centers.
Limited time offers: Get 20% off the Mini 4G plus one month of free service when you sign an annual contract.

How is Medical Guardian rated?

Breakdown

5.0/5
Monitoring
4.8/5
Equipment
4.8/5
Contract and Price
5.0/5
Reputation and Certifications

Overall Rating: 4.9 / 5 (Excellent)

Medical Guardian provides an excellent variety of high-quality, reasonably-priced medical alert systems that cater to both users and their caregivers.

The company offers professional monitoring from their 13, U.S.-based, 24/7 monitoring centers, all of which are certified and equipped to provide ongoing service even in extreme situations.

Furthermore, its state-of-the-art smartwatches put Medical Guardian at the forefront of technological advancement in the realm of medical alerts. Medical Guardian scores highly with us for its diversity of products and straightforward, customizable services.

Medical Guardian Equipment

Equipment - 4.8 / 5

Medical Guardian offers five easy to use and install devices with that can be equipped with optional fall detection and your choice of landline, cellular, or mobile/GPS connectivity.

They have five different medical alert packages available, each equipped with the clients' choice of pendant, wristband, or clip-on water-resistant alert buttons.

Their most affordable system, the Classic Guardian, boasts an impressive 1,300-foot button-to-base station range in every direction and a 32-hour backup battery life. Other devices offer even longer battery life—up to seven days.

Medical Guardian recently introduced the Guardian Mini. The unit is quite petite, weighing in at just over an ounce and measuring 1.38 inches across. You can wear it on a lanyard or clip it anywhere on your person with the clip that's included.

Medical Guardian offers a mobile app that can be set up to issue a variety of alerts to family members. For family members and caregivers who prefer not to install the app, alerts can be delivered via text message or email.

The company’s latest product is the MGMove smartwatch, powered by AT&T 4G LTE. The touch-screen device has a multitude of features that combine the conveniences of a smartwatch with the functionality of a help button. It can report emergencies to the monitoring center using the SOS app, track their steps to keep up with their daily goals, check the weather at any time, and set reminders. The watch can also be used as a messaging device between the user and their Care Circle members.
System Types
Home Landline
Home Cellular
Mobile/GPS
Help Button Option
Necklace
Wristband
Bracelet
Mobile/GPS Battery Life
168 hours

Key Features

Wearable 2-Way Communication
Waterproof Help Button
Automatic Fall Detection
Supports Multiple Help Buttons
Fall Detection
Optional Fall Detection
Water-Resistant Help Button

Additional Info

Cellular Provider Options
Verizon
AT&T
Equipment Warranty
Lifetime Warranty

Monitoring

Monitoring - 5 / 5

All of Medical Guardian's 13 monitoring centers are U.S.-based and certified by Underwriters Laboratory, which recognizes the highest equipment safety and reliability standards in the industry.

Their centers also hold the CSAA Five Diamond Central Station Certification, awarded to monitoring centers that are committed to achieving excellence in both quality standards and customer service.

With state-of-the-art servers and telecommunications equipment, Medical Guardian's monitoring centers are capable of 100% redundancy even under the most severe scenarios.
Monitoring Options
Professionally Monitored
Monitoring Center Type
Owned
Number of Monitoring Centers
13
Services
24/7 Monitoring
Emergency Dispatch
Non-Emergency Dispatch
Multilingual Staff

Contract & Price: How much does Medical Guardian cost?

Contract and Price - 4.8 / 5

Medical Guardian provides free activation for all their standard medical alert systems. Shipping is free when you sign up for a quarterly or longer contract.

Medical Guardian offers free equipment for two of its five products. Their services are equally affordable, with prices ranging from $29.95 to $49.95 a month. Its newest product, the MGMove smartwatch, has a purchase price of $199.95 and a service plan that costs $44.95. It offers enhanced features such as reminders and messaging. The lowest-cost option from Medical Guardian’s line of on-the-go and at-home medical alert devices includes a free neck pendant or wristband with a call button.
Medical Guardian does not require customers to make a long-term commitment. You can pay for service monthly. However, the company discounts its prices when you select the quarterly or annual payment option.

Starting Prices per Month

Landline
$29.95
Cellular
$34.95
Mobile/GPS
$39.95
Free Monitoring for Additional Person

Contract & Fees

Contract Required?
No
Minimum Contract Length
1 months
Activation/ Installation Fee
None
Equipment Fees
Varies by product.
Free Trial Period
None
Cancellation Policy
Medical Guardian will refund any prorated amount due based on the date the equipment was received, minus a $50 restocking fee as outlined in the Terms of Service.

Medical Guardian Reputation

Reputation and Certifications - 5 / 5

Medical Guardian devices have won numerous consumer honors. Medical Guardian is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating with the organization. That rating is at odds, however, with the poor rating awarded by customers who review Medical Guardian on the BBB website: Just 1.1 out of 5 stars.

The company earns an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars from customers who review it on Google.

Trustpilot users aren't enthusiastic about Medical Guardian, however, and give the company a "bad" rating of 1.7 out of 5 stars. Medical Guardian does take the time to check and respond to consumer reviews.

Medical Guardian monitoring services are certified by Underwriters Laboratories, The Monitoring Association, and Factory Mutual.

Professional Certifications

  • Underwriter's Laboratory (UL)
  • The Monitoring Association (TMA/CSAA)
  • Factory Mutual (FM)
  • Department of Defense

Additional Ratings

TrustPilot Rating
11.0 out of 5
BBB Rating
A+
BBB Neutral Reviews
0
Date Collected
2023-06-27

Disclaimers


Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
Headquarters Address
1818 Market Street Suite 1200, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
Mailing Address
1818 Market Street Suite 1200, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
Year Founded
2005

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609 Customer Comments & Reviews

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Darcie S
7/13/2020
Very disappointed in their service. They charged my card when ordered on April 29, 2020. Unfortunately due to Covid 19, the shipment was delayed and was not received until after we moved my mother from her apartment to my home to continue her end of life care, this was on May 8, 2020 The equipment was received the week the week of May 10th and returned within a week or two, after my mother's passing on May 19. The equipment was never used/activated or even opened. Out of $251.64 charged, they are only offering me $140.21. It was explained to me by supervisor Robert, it was company policy. During this extremely difficult time for all of us "company policy" should not be the... Read More


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Eleanor
5/14/2020
Mark at medical guardian is a lifeline in and of himself. He was empathetic, kind spirited and eager to find the best fit for my mom possible. He explained the pros and cons and made the process (I can’t believe I’m saying this) enjoyable. The products are really varied and impressive but the guidance and care is irreplaceable. Thank you Mark and thank you Medical Guardian.


kathleenmacauto
5/12/2020
the fall down alert is not guaranteed to work. I held my pendant high in the air (as manual instructed) and there was no response. Manually pushing the button works. I called and explained the problem, relating that I have a seizure disorder and that the fall down feature is of upmost importance. The agent was very understanding but related that it is not 100%. I dropped it three times, non of which contacted a dispatcher.


jprosen55
5/6/2020
Do not use Medical Guardian! My 93 year old mother fell in the garage, and she could not communicate with the operator despite being in the range of the monitor. When they called me, they were going to dispatch an ambulance to a different city. When I explained that she no longer was as that address, and that I had changed her location, the operator's response was "call customer service". I had to call a neighbor to come over and call 911 for me. When I complained about the operator, I was told that they just trained a new batch of operators, which obviously was not adequate. They would not refund me for the cancellation of service, and I also had to pay to ship the devices back to... Read More

Medical G  
Official Response

Employee of Medical Guardian Medical Alerts
Hello, Thank you very much for feedback. We would like to apologize for your experience and situations such as these are very rare and infrequent. We would like to look into this issue and determine all of the facts and provide you our response and resolution. Could you please provide us with your mother's name and your phone number? Thank you. - The Medical Guardian Team

B
Bette
3/23/2020
Refused to refund full amount of amount charged initially - even when no contract was signed. Several called yielded different excuses although one said the remaining 10% was approved. My 5th call , when I spoke to a supervisor, who said ,if he approved it , they would refuse it. Can not believe that such a big business would not be honorable enough to give a full refund. This was never revealed in any communication with them. Caveat emptor

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Medical G  
Official Response

Employee of Medical Guardian Medical Alerts
Hello Bette, Thank you for your valuable feedback. We'd like to take a look into your issue further and provide you with the best response possible. Could you please provide us with your full name and phone number so we can investigate? Thank you. - The Medical Guardian Team

D
Diane U
3/1/2020
Disappointment doesn’t even begin to describe our experience we have had with this company. In December we signed up our 86 mother with Medical Guardian. When we receive the device, we followed all protocol as the instructions instructed. We waited two weeks for setup when we did the first test to see if the equipment worked and it failed. Tried to call to check why the system was not working or why no one had called us back. We were on hold for fifty minutes before we were disconnected. Again, tried to call and was on hold for forty minutes when someone finally answered our call. The rep. stated they were only the answering service and that we would have to call back during business... Read More

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Medical G  
Official Response

Employee of Medical Guardian Medical Alerts
Hello Diana, It does not appear that you are a Medical Guardian customer. It appears that you are a Connect America customer. Please call their customer service line at (800) 906-0872. Thank you.

guising01
2/7/2020
Device works intermittently if at all and customer service is horrible. They say they will call you back but they never do. I am returning my device and would not recommend this company! I plan to share my review with Costco since they recommended and sold this device.

Medical G  
Official Response

Employee of Medical Guardian Medical Alerts
Hello. thank you so much for your review. We would like to investigate the issues that you are experiencing and offer a solution. Could you please provide us with your contact details in order to resolve this for you? Thank you!

D
Debra H
1/14/2020
I returned the medical guardian active after one month because they did not follow the protocol I had set up with them (contacting EMT and then me) in case my mother fell. My total cost for the unit along with fall detection and $6.99 per month in case the unit was damaged was $634.34 for the year. I requested a total refund, and I would like to add that the fall detection NEVER WORKED. I was refunded $513.11. I called the company and they said that they deducted the free shipping that I had originally received along with a restocking fee($50.00). I complained to the customer service rep and she did refund the $50.00, but I am still owed $71.23 which they won't refund. My advice is... Read More

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Medical G  
Official Response

Employee of Medical Guardian Medical Alerts
Hello Deborah, thank you for your review. We apologize for the issues you have experienced and we would like to look into your issue further. Could you please provide us with your contact details so we can investigate this matter and reach out to you with a solution? Thank you so much and have a great day!

robingorenberg
1/8/2020
I just bought the new freedom watch for my mother - i have tried calling Medical Guardian today 5 times to try to set up the account, each time to be put on hold with no one ever answering, eventually getting the answering service to take a message. No only could i not get in touch with them to set up the account, but i did a test "help" on the watch (which worked) but after the test call ended the person on the other end said she would cancel the call but the watch keeps saying "on call" and i can't turn if off! this a TERRIBLE 1st impression for a company that is for medical alerts! to not be able to reach anyone is unacceptable. And I am evaluating 4 companies and all of the other 3... Read More

Medical G  
Official Response

Employee of Medical Guardian Medical Alerts
Hello, thank you for your review. We apologize if you were unable to get in touch with us during our peak times of the year and did not have the best experience getting in touch with us to activate. It looks like you have already cancelled and have been fully refunded. Thank you so much for providing your valuable feedback!

D
Debra H
12/26/2019
I purchased a Medical Guardian Active for my 87 year old mother in Nov. I paid for one year along with the fall detection ($10.00/mth) and $6.99/mth in case of damage. ( I thought the fall detection was included which I found out wasn't which incurred the $10.00/mth fee.) When we tested the fall detection it didn't work and the reps didn't know why! When I purchased the device I requested that the EMT's would be notified first. On Dec. 13 my mother fell and activated the device. The rep did not contact the EMT's she called me first. The rep didn't even know where my mother was when she fell. I called the company and told them this was totally irresponsible on their part when the... Read More

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Medical G  
Official Response

Employee of Medical Guardian Medical Alerts
Hello Debra, thank you very much for your valuable feedback. We apologize if you experienced issues with the Fall Detection feature for your device and the dispatch protocol. You have already cancelled the service and we have refunded you in January. Thank you.


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