ADT Medical Alert System Review

You’re probably familiar with ADT’s home security systems, but did you know there's ADT also sells and monitors medical alert systems too? And if you already have an ADT security system, you can get discounts on a medical alert device for loved ones.

ADT provides two types of in-home medical alerts (landline and cellular) plus a mobile device. Each package comes equipped with an emergency button to reach any of ADT’s six US-based monitoring centers. It's the quality of those monitoring centers that sets ADT apart from other medical alert companies, but ADT's medical alert equipment and features are a little lackluster.

ADT's medical alert equipment is leased to you for free. You'll pay a monthly fee and—unless there's a special deal running—an activation fee (about $29), and a shipping fee (about $10). You also have the option to pay quarterly or yearly, which could save you between $24 and $48 per year.

Monthly fees start at around $30 for the landline in-home system (Medical Alert Basic), $38 for the cellular in-home system (Medical Alert Plus), and $40 for the mobile system (On-the-Go). 

Adding accessories to your ADT Medical Alert system increases the cost:

• Wall buttons cost $2.99/mo. each
• Lockboxes cost about $30
• Fall detection pendants cost $11/mo. each

Offers and prices subject to change. Fall detection pendant doesn't detect 100% of falls. See full disclaimer.

ADT's medical alert systems are available with month-to-month agreements, making it easy to cancel any time. Just make sure to read the fine print if you sign up during a special promotion—some of ADT's best medical alert deals are only available if you sign an annual contract.

You can get a pro-rated refund if you need to cancel at any point during your billing cycle. For example, if you paid for yearly billing and cancel at month six, you'll be refunded for the remaining six months. 

As in all home-based medical alert systems, the wearable emergency button needs to stay close to the base station. ADT’s Basic system gives Mom or Dad a 300-foot radius before the connection fades.

Compared to other medical alert systems, 300 feet is pretty limited. But it’s enough if your loved ones live in a small home or apartment.

Unfortunately, automatic fall detection isn’t available with this system. But you can upgrade to the Plus package to get that feature with an at-home system.

If you have questions or comments, calling is by far the fastest way to reach ADT—and you can get a hold of someone at any time. ADT agents are available 24/7, unlike some other medical alert companies with limited business hours. Look for the 24/7 telephone number in your product user guide or on the Medical Alert equipment.

When you call, you may encounter some upselling tactics, though. So brace yourself and take a look through the site so you know what you’re looking for before you call.

We tested ADT’s customer service via the live chat service on the company’s website. A bot greets you when you start the chat, requiring you to jump through some hoops before reaching a real customer service rep.

And the process can be tricky since the bot’s navigational questions are mainly focused on ADT’s home security.

ADT Medical Alert continuously monitors the battery life of its help buttons. They'll send you a free replacement button well before your existing one runs out of juice.

This is a service we love to see when ranking and reviewing medical alert companies, but it's not unique to ADT Medical Alert. Medical Guardian, Medical Alert, Life Alert, and others offer the same service for free.

Of ADT’s medical alert systems, our favorite is the On-the-Go GPS package. It’s competitively priced compared to similar units and gives your loved one more freedom to move about their house, neighborhood, and community.

To sum it all up, ADT offers basic but easy-to-use medical alert systems at average prices. 

This isn’t the first time SafeWise has put ADT under the microscope. So we used what we already know about the company. We also sifted through fine print to get details on the payment process, activation fees, and more.

To top it off, we compared the ADT system to other popular medical alert devices, looking at prices, equipment, and monitoring perks. Learn more about how we conduct our reviews from our methodology page.

• Most Affordable Medical Alert Systems
• Best Medical Alert Systems for Fall Detection
• What's the Real Cost of Life Alert?
• How to Choose a Medical Alert System
• How to Talk to Your Parents About a Medical Alert System