1) Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans typically don't pay for them
2) You can get a more inexpensive version from Walmart
3) They all involve a monthly subscription fee
I'm a RN-Case Manager and deal with these things on a regular basis. Also just attempted to get one for my grandmother who has had recent falls. My aunt (her sister) actually looked into it and found the inital setup charge for the necklace/bracelet and receiver was about $300 and it was $50 a month with a 3-year subscription.
It can/will be taken away if used improperly repeatedly. I have many patients who gleefully press the life alert for bullshit, like needing something off the top shelf of the cabinet, or (true story) someone to go to 7-11 and buy her cigarettes and bring them. Often patients will push it just for someone to come because they're lonely and want to talk. Just had a patient this week have her life alert taken away by the local police because she used the thing roughly 60 times a month for the last 30 months. She lives in a small town with limited emergency response vehicles/personnel and she was just abusing it.
They can be a real life saver for patients, but they do have a financial cost.
If your mom is dually enrolled in Medicare/Medicaid or Medicare Advantage/Medicaid, often the Medicaid waiver will pick up the out of pocket expense of the equipment but not the monthly charge.
There is also the issue of range of the device. The way they typically work is the patient has a pendant or bracelet-type item with a button on it. The button activates a receiver that is placed somewhere in the house. The receiver is like a big speaker. They push the button which dials the Life Alert company. Someone comes on the speaker and asks what the emergency is and the patient yells out (or not if they're incapacaitated) and the company dials 911 for the patient.
The problem is if your mom has multiple floors in her home typically every floor will need a receiver b/c of range. They also will not work if your mom is outside and presses the button, again b/c of range.
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