GetSafe Medical Alert System: Is It Right for You?

Founded in 2016, GetSafe is a private company offering medical alert systems that are meant to be a whole-home alternative to wearable devices.

GetSafe is part of the Bay Alarm family of companies — founded in 1946 and based in Concord, California, with monitoring centers in Idaho and Utah — that make and distribute home security and other home alarm systems.

Both of GetSafe’s monitoring centers are fully operational around the clock and respond to emergency alerts from home and medical security systems. They can also provide backup for the other monitoring center if one loses power or network support.

These monitoring centers also carry a Five Diamond certification from The Monitoring Association (TMA). This means that they have achieved recognition in the alarm industry by doing relevant electronics testing, training staff through TMA’s curriculum, and maintaining high customer service standards.

GetSafe has several types of products available. You can choose the best one for you depending on your preference or what will work best in your living environment. You can typically use one product alone or a combination of products to meet your needs.

4G LTE base console

The base console is essentially a wall-mounted speaker equipped with an extremely sensitive microphone that allows you to shout for help to activate an emergency call to one of GetSafe’s monitoring centers.

The base console also features a large button labeled “emergency call” so that you can immediately dial for help when you’re close to the console and be connected with a monitoring center quickly.

Although it can be connected to power, the base console also comes with batteries and can last for up to 32 hours if there’s a power outage.

Personal help button

The personal help button is a waterproof, wearable pendant with a button in the middle that you can press to immediately get in touch with a GetSafe monitoring center when you’re within range of a base console.

The button itself is indented so that you don’t press it unintentionally. It also has an 800-foot range so that you can press for help even if you’re outside your home or far away from one of your GetSafe base units. Batteries are included and last for up to 5 years.

Voice-activated wall button

GetSafe voice-activated wall buttons allow you to use voice commands — such as “call 9-11, call 9-11” — so that you don’t need to be right next to the console to get connected with a representative at a GetSafe monitoring center. There’s also a large button labeled “emergency call” and a chain you can pull to call for help, too.

These buttons can be mounted to walls around your environment where you’re more likely to fall or have an accident so that you’re never too far from help. They connect wirelessly to your base console so that you can get coverage all around your living space.

Standard wall button

You can also place wireless wall-mounted buttons around your living space that can be pressed to immediately call for help.

GetSafe recommends placing these buttons in areas where you may be more likely to fall or have trouble. They’re also considered a good alternative to wearing a personal help button if you have them placed where you feel most at risk.

GetSafe has several pricing structures based on where in your home you want to use the GetSafe products. All pricing includes a $27.95 per month charge for 24/7 monitoring.

• Starter (1 bedroom): $79 for a base unit, voice-activated wall button, and pendant button
• Standard (2 to 3 bedrooms): $193 for a base unit, 2 voice-activated wall buttons, standard wall button, and pendant button
• Select (4 to 5 bedrooms): $307 for a base unit, 3 voice-activated wall buttons, 2 standard wall buttons, and a pendant button

Trial period

GetSafe offers a 30-day trial period so that you can try out the system and speak with a GetSafe consultant to explore your options before you commit to paying for the system and 24/7 monthly monitoring charge.

Depending on when you cancel your trial period, you may be charged a prorated fee based on how long you try your system within the 30-day period.

Warranty

All GetSafe systems come with a 1-year manufacturer warranty that covers defects and unintentional damage. You can also pay an extra $5 per month for an extended warranty.

Delivery

GetSafe arrives in one or several boxes, depending on how many products you order. Shipping may depend on your location.

Other features

GetSafe also offers several other add-ons that can help you address any concerns about living independently:

• Lockbox: holds important documents or items that a caregiver or emergency medical professional may need to access
• Vial of life packet: lists out your medical history, any medications you’re taking, and your emergency contacts; you can keep these forms in multiple places, such as your bag, purse, or car
• Mobile GPS button: can identify your exact location when you call for assistance
• Mobile app: connects to a GPS button to allow a loved one or caregiver to monitor your location

All GetSafe systems come with a base unit supported by 4G LTE cellular service to keep you connected to a GetSafe monitoring center at all times. You can use the base unit to call the monitoring center using a button or your voice and get help whenever you need it.

The base unit also supports the other units available. For example, when you push a button on your wearable pendant or a wall-mounted button or call for help using a voice-activated or standard wall button, these units communicate with the 4G base unit and call the monitoring center to get your help.

When you activate a unit, a GetSafe representative will try to get in touch with you through the base unit speaker or any unit that contains a speaker. If they can’t reach you that way, they’ll call your phone. If you’re unresponsive through the GetSafe system or your phone, they’ll follow your designated emergency protocols.

How to install

GetSafe will offer in-home setup if you need it. You may also consider asking a loved one or caregiver to help you install the GetSafe system when it arrives.

Here’s how to set up the system:

1. Plug the 4G LTE base unit into an outlet for power and switch on the power button. LED indicator lights on the front of the unit indicate when it’s powered on and connected to a 4G LTE network.
2. Follow the voice commands you hear to set up the unit.
3. Mount or hang any voice-activated or standard wall buttons you receive using adhesive tape on the back of each button.
4. Test the buttons by pulling the cords or pressing the buttons to ensure that it’s connecting to your base unit.

MobileHelp

• Price: varies by product and subscription plan (ranges from $19.95 per month to $599.40 per year)
• Subscription: $19.95 per month (plus one-time $49.95 processing fee)
• Trial period: 30 days
• Warranty: available for $6 per month
• Setup and delivery: can be arranged

MobileHelp offers similar features to GetSafe, such as a pendant button and installable units throughout your home. MobileHelp also includes the option of a touchscreen tablet that allows you to contact a monitoring center. It also has features like medication reminders, a photo gallery, and games like Sudoku.

Shop now at MobileHelp.

Bay Alarm Medical

• Price: ranges from $24.95 per month to $39.95 per month
• Subscription: yes
• Trial period: 30 days
• Warranty: lifetime warranty for normal wear and tear, Premier Protection Plan for additional coverage
• Setup and delivery: setup not included (you’ll need to set up the system yourself), delivered to your home

Bay Alarm Medical systems are offered by the parent company that operates GetSafe. For a higher monthly charge, Bay Alarm offers similar home alert systems, such as buttons and a wearable pendant, as well as smartwatch and car systems that can let you call for help when you’re away from home.

Shop now at Bay Alarm Medical.

ADT Health

• Price: ranges from $29.99 per month to $39.99 per month
• Subscription: yes
• Trial period: no, but subscription is charged month to month
• Warranty: covers all device repairs for the lifetime of your products unless you lose them
• Setup and delivery: delivered to your home, but you or a caregiver will need to install it

ADT Health is a medical alert system offered by the well-known home security system ADT. For a monthly fee, you can get many of the same types of medical alert systems as GetSafe, including home systems and mobile systems that allow you to call for help wirelessly and share your GPS location with a representative.

Shop now at ADT Health.

LifeFone

• Price: ranges from $24.95 per month (landline-based alert system) to $41.95 per month (mobile alert system) when billed annually
• Subscription: yes
• Trial period: 30 days
• Warranty: lifetime warranty for manufacturer defects and replacements for low battery
• Set up/delivery: delivered to your home, but you or a caregiver will need to install it

LifeFone offers home-based medical alert systems that can connect to either a landline or cellular network. You can select from a home alert system activated by pressing a button or using voice commands along with an optional wearable pendant. You can also add mobile options like a smartwatch device and a GPS mobile device.

Shop now at LifeFone.

GetSafe appears to be a credible and trustworthy company. There are no outstanding lawsuits or public claims against GetSafe. Although GetSafe doesn’t have a Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile, parent company Bay Alarm has an A+ rating through the BBB.

The company’s website features several success stories from actual customers. Most of the company’s reviews on the review aggregator site Trustpilot range between 4 and 5 stars, even though the company has an average rating of 2 stars.

Using a GetSafe medical alert system can help you feel supported in an emergency. But here are some other tips you can use to feel more secure while living independently:

• Regularly attend medical appointments and closely following the instructions of your healthcare professionals.
• Keep in touch with neighbors, friends, or family members, who can help support you when you need assistance at home.
• Keep a list of emergency contacts close by that you can access easily in case of emergency.
• Make sure you have enough essential medications on hand so that you can address any symptoms or conditions that you’re experiencing.
• Have an emergency home or disaster kit handy that can help you when emergencies occur, especially weather-related emergencies or power outages.
• Keep your home maintained and repaired to minimize your risk of being injured by something in your home.
• Don’t leave any doors or windows unlocked that can allow people you don’t know or trust to access your home.
• Install a home security system that can help you monitor what’s going on in and around your living space.
• Put railings, handles, and grab bars in your living space that you can grab onto when you’re navigating throughout your environment.

Does insurance cover the GetSafe medical alert system?

Medicare plans (parts A and B) don’t cover GetSafe medical alert systems. The Medicare Advantage plan may cover some GetSafe systems.

Insurance plans through state Medicaid plans or the Department of Veterans Affairs may cover GetSafe.

Does GetSafe have a free trial period?

Yes. You’re eligible for what the company calls a “30-day risk-free trial” for any GetSafe package.

This means that you get to try the system for 30 days and return it without any penalty after the 30-day trial period. You may have to pay a prorated fee for the amount of time you used the system. This fee appears to be based on the $27.95 per month charge for 24/7 monitoring.

Is GetSafe medical alert legit?

GetSafe is a part of the Bay Alarm family of companies. Even though GetSafe was founded relatively recently (in 2016, to be exact), Bay Alarm has been around since 1946 and includes numerous home security companies that have long been considered industry standards.