Medical Guardian Alert Systems: Cost, Features, and More

Setting Up Medical Guardian

Buying Experience

You can’t just buy a medical alert system off the shelf of your local Costco. Well, you can, but if you’re serious about protecting your loved ones, you can do better. And anyway, who wants to battle the Costco crowds? You can purchase a Medical Guardian system through the company’s website and never have to leave your couch. In fact, the site makes it simple and easy to pick a system and pick a plan. All the options are laid out across the homepage. One click brings up a list of features and pricing data, all the information you need to make the right choice for the senior adult in your life.

At this point in the process, there’s no complicated paperwork. You don’t have to gather your medical history, or decide who to make your primary contacts. You have just one job: picking out the right equipment and the right plan. One of the really nice things about Medical Guardian is that the company understands its audience. It doesn’t overwhelm customers with information. Everything happens one simple step at a time.

To make things even easier, Medical Guardian offers a Buying Advice tab on the homepage. You’ll find a lot of the advice under this tab in our own medical alert system buying guide. Medical Guardian’s information, though, is specifically tailored to choosing their systems. Respond to a few simple questions about what kind of medical protection you need, and Medical Guardian will recommend a system and monitoring plan. From there, a couple of clicks, and your system’s on its way to your doorstep.

Medical Guardian homepage product options

Installation Process

Installing our Medical Guardian systems was just as simple and straightforward. Again, one step at a time to avoid complications.

We wanted to ensure we had a complete sense of how well Medical Guardian equipment works, so rather than just ordering one system, we ordered three separate systems: the MGHome 2.0, the MGMini, and the MGMove smartwatch. Even so, it was pretty easy to keep track of our orders. Each system came packaged in its own individual box, each box included its own clear, simple instructions.

As for the installation itself, Medical Guardian offers two ways to set up its products – you can go through the entire process online, or you can call and talk to a customer service representative. We gave both a try. After all, we had three systems to get running.

My Guardian product boxes

First up, we tried the online method. We didn’t have to look up any long web addresses. Getting to the setup portal was as simple as scanning the QR code on the side of the box. Of course, Medical Guardian includes the URL in the paperwork as well, just in case you need it. Once we were at the portal, the company asked for our product UDI and some basic payment information to get our subscription started. The whole process took a handful of minutes.

The dial-up setup was just as easy and straightforward. No long waiting on hold – we got someone on the phone almost immediately. The steps in this case were essentially the same as in the online setup, but we had the advantage of a real live person walking us through each piece of the process.

In both cases, we only needed to get one device working. Once we’d done that, all the other equipment paired with it automatically. Everything showed up in our online account and our MyGuardian app as well. And that was the hard part! Actually physically setting up the equipment involved setting it on our bedside table. No tools, no ladders.

Packages and Pricing

Let’s talk price. With most medical alert systems, you have to worry about three different costs: the cost of the equipment, the cost of the monitoring itself, and the cost of any extras you might need. All of these costs depend on the specific system you choose.

For example, the MGClassic, Medical Guardian flagship home system, costs nothing in terms of equipment. You get the unit itself and a choice of wristband or pendant for free. Your primary cost, then, is the $36.95 a month monitoring plan. That entitles you to full 24-hour protections, 365 days of the year. To that baseline price, you can add extras like fall detection for $10 a month or a lockbox for $3.00 a month.

As Medical Guardian’s equipment improves, the price goes up. The MGHome Cellular unit costs $150.00, for example. To that, you must add $39 monthly charge for service and any extras you may need. On-the-go systems cost a bit more. The MGMini device is $150, and monitoring is $40 per month.

MGMove and MGHome Cellular order summary

MGMini, MGMini Lite, and MGClassic order summary

The good news is Medical Guardian doesn’t charge any setup or activation fees. There is a Standard shipping fee that starts at $12.50. You can also get next-day shipping for $25, overnight shipping for $35, and overnight weekend shipping for $45. Otherwise, however, the price you see on the Medical Guardian is the price you pay. Here’s a full breakdown of all Medical Guardian’s devices and plans.

Mobile Alert System Features

What are you getting for these prices? Well, again, to some extent that depends on what you pay. No matter which Medical Guardian system you choose, though, you’re fully protected from all medical emergencies. In addition, you have protection in case of fire, and access to the police if you should need it. All of the company’s devices include the same basic safety features – Smart Voice Assist, two-way talk, and complete access to the MyGuardian portal. If you need help, it’s at your fingertips.

MGMini and MGMini Lite

The MGMini and the MGMini Lite come with their own set of features.

• Extended battery life, lasting up to five days
• Step tracking with updates on activity
• Hourly GPS location updates
• Wi-Fi positioning to identify location

MGMove

Meanwhile, the MGMove includes several additional bonus features.

MGMove

• Step tracking
• Weather reports
• Messaging ability using voice
• Reminders

MGClassic

Classic Guardian from Medical Guardian

To these standard features, the MGClassic system adds

• 1,300 feet of coverage
• Option to sync with necklace or wristband (included)
• 32 hours of battery power

MGHome Cellular (Home 2.0)

• 1,400 feet of protection
• Option to sync with necklace or wristband (included)

Of course, to all of these systems, you can add extras, such as fall detection. Let’s get into those next.

Expert Examined

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

“One especially memorable patient told me that she learned more patience by wearing her medical alert system. She said that after she built up trust in the system over time, she developed more empathy for healthcare workers. I remember her son saying once that this “new” empathy for others was not something she demonstrated for decades previously. Was it the medical alert system? Trust? Consistency? Who can say for sure, but in my opinion the medical alert system certainly played a role in changing this woman’s outlook as she aged.”

Medical Guardian offers equipment you can use to supplement devices. It also offers add-ons to its service plans.

MyGuardian App

Medical Guardian makes it simple to summon help whenever you need it. All you need to do is push a single button, perfect if you should find yourself in an emergency. If you’re looking for control over your system, you’ll find that through the MyGuardian app. Don’t worry – the app is designed with not-so-tech-savvy users in mind. While you can fine-tune virtually all aspects of your system and your plan, you can do it without getting lost. The layout is intuitive, with easy-to-read text and straightforward wording.

Even if you order multiple systems, as we did, it’s easy to keep them organized. When you open the app, you’re presented with a list of your enrolled devices. Of course, different systems come with different features, and when you switch between them, you’ll see modified dashboards. The MGMove, for example, lets us see our system status, our location, a list of our reminders, and our health statistics. Our MGMove dashboard gave us access to our system status, location, and reminders, but didn’t include stats.

MyGuardian app

As you might expect if you’ve been following along to this point, Medical Guardian makes customer service easy, whether you’re looking for help with your system or need to review your bill. Here again, the app is useful. It lets you make payments, change payment methods, set up autopay options, and add new features to your plan. There’s also a way to save emergency medical information so first responders can access it during an emergency.

The bottom line is that this app provides everything you need to keep yourself safe and secure, but it’s simple enough that anyone can use it.

Current Medical Guardian Deals

There is no product that can not be improved with a deal or a discount. Medical alert equipment is no exception. Here again, there’s some good news when it comes to Medical Guardian. The company runs frequent sales, most around the holidays. We’re not just talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas, though. Right now, for instance, the company is offering 50 percent off its top products in celebration of Public Health Week. In addition, you get a free lockbox, though this requires an additional monthly fee of $2.99 per month. Note that Public Health Week only lasts…well, for a week. If you check Medical Guardian’s website regularly, though, you’ll discover the company is usually offering some kind of discount.

Which Medical Guardian System Is Best for You?

Still having trouble deciding which device is best for you? Let’s break it down even further.

Who needs on-the-go medical alert systems?

We recommend on-the-go medical alert systems for people who are constantly on the move. If you’re mobile, active, and are always out and about, these devices are best for you. Additionally, those who have a medical condition or are prone to falling can also benefit greatly from a mobile device, since it’s always on their person.

Who needs home medical alert systems?

At-home medical alert systems are best for homebodies. If you enjoy hobbies and activities at home, this type of system may be best for you. A stationary device is probably more than enough if you’re not prone to falls or have any debilitating medical concerns. For non-seniors living alone who may want some peace of mind, a basic at-home alert system could be worth the investment.

Bottom Line

Medical alert systems are essential devices that help people in emergency situations. The market leans heavily toward seniors — and for good reason — but emergency response systems can be beneficial for people of all ages. The devices provide assistance when no one else is around or when you can’t make it to the phone in time. We see these systems as valuable pieces of equipment that provide peace of mind for people who live alone, have medical conditions, are prone to falls, or just want to feel safe running errands.

As for Medical Guardian in particular, the company provides top-of-the-line safety features, easy installation, 24/7 support, an intuitive app and online portal, and affordable plans. Medical Guardian offers five separate systems, including both on-the-go and at-home devices which means means that means most seniors will find one that meets their specific needs.

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