Medical Care Alert Named Top Overall Medical Alert System and Best Medical Alert Smartwatch by U.S. News & World Report
Medical Care Alert earns a 4.8 rating and the No. 1 spot in two 2026-27 U.S. News rankings, including its Senior Smart Watch With GPS.
LIVONIA, Mich., Nov. 9, 2026 – Medical Care Alert (MCA), a national provider of personal emergency response systems (PERS) for seniors, today announced that U.S. News & World Report named it the Best Overall pick in its 2026-27 Best Medical Alert Systems rating. MCA's Senior Smart Watch With GPS (SmartWatch PRO) earned the top pick for medical alert smartwatches. U.S. News gave the company a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating in both rankings.
U.S. News evaluated 19 companies and surveyed 675 medical alert customers for the 2026-27 Best Medical Alert Systems rating. Four U.S. News staff members spent more than 110 hours testing 25 systems in private homes and community settings. They scored ease of ordering and setup, automatic fall detection, GPS location tracking, caregiver notifications and customer service.
Why Medical Care Alert Earned the Top Spot
U.S. News testers evaluated three Medical Care Alert systems: the HOME Emergency Medical Alert System, the HOME & AWAY FLEX GPS Medical Alert System and the Senior Smart Watch With GPS. The reviews noted several strengths:
- Fast fall detection on the smartwatch. In three rounds of testing, the Senior Smart Watch With GPS sounded its alarm within five seconds every time. That was the quickest of the three systems tested.
- Reliable fall detection across the line. The in-home and mobile systems also detected falls in every testing round.
- Accurate GPS location tracking. Testers found location tracking precise on both the mobile device and the smartwatch. The smartwatch also offers a text-to-locate feature for caregivers.
- Health and safety features on the wrist. The smartwatch is shower safe and includes step tracking and heart rate monitoring, with a battery life of up to 48 hours.
- Responsive customer service. All three testers reached a live agent quickly, and the in-home system took less than 15 minutes to set up, with customer service support and online videos available to help. MCA's customer service score in the U.S. News customer survey was 4.5 out of 5.
- Quick callback. When a tester accidentally placed a call from the HOME & AWAY FLEX GPS device, MCA called back within seconds.
- Lifetime warranty. U.S. News noted that MCA's equipment, other than the smartwatch, is covered by a 100% lifetime warranty for wear and tear, including service, repair and button replacements. SmartWatch has a one year warranty.
- Second-person monitoring included. Monitoring for a second person is included with the in-home systems at no additional monitoring fee.
- Key lockbox for emergency access. A key lockbox is free with any MCA system purchase, so emergency personnel can enter the home in an emergency without damaging the door.
- Affordable, flexible plans. Monitoring starts at $29.95 per month with no long-term contract, and unused prepaid subscription time is refunded on cancellation. Automatic fall detection is available on every system for $10 per month.
"Families come to us at a stressful moment, and they want a system that works the first time and a company that picks up the phone," said Bryan Stapp, president of Medical Care Alert. "Being named the top overall pick, and the top smartwatch pick, by U.S. News is validation of the work our team does every day. We built Medical Care Alert to give older adults independence and give their families peace of mind."
Senior Smart Watch With GPS at a Glance
|
Feature |
Detail |
|---|---|
|
Monitoring fee |
$39.95 per month |
|
Device fee |
$149.95 one-time |
|
Automatic fall detection |
Optional, $10 per month |
|
Location |
GPS built in, plus caregiver text-to-locate |
|
Health features |
Step tracking and heart rate monitoring |
|
Battery life |
Up to 48 hours |
|
Water protection |
Shower safe |
|
Monitoring |
24/7, U.S.-based center staffed by EMT- and EMD-certified agents |
How Medical Care Alert Works
When a subscriber presses the help button or an automatic fall alert triggers, the device connects to MCA's U.S.-based monitoring center. EMT- and EMD-certified agents assess the situation, contact emergency services if needed, and notify family contacts with phone calls and text messages. MCA offers three product types: in-home systems (landline or cellular), mobile GPS devices and a GPS smartwatch. Coverage extends to all 50 states.
Availability
Medical Care Alert systems and the Senior Smart Watch With GPS are available now at medicalcarealert.com or by calling 877-913-3680. The full U.S. News reviews are available at Best Medical Alert Smartwatches and the Medical Care Alert review.
About Medical Care Alert
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, Medical Care Alert provides personal emergency response systems that help seniors live independently and safely at home and on the go. MCA offers in-home medical alert systems, GPS mobile devices and a GPS smartwatch, all backed by 24/7 monitoring from a U.S.-based center staffed by EMT- and EMD-certified agents. The company offers no-long-term-contract plans and serves thousands of subscribers and families nationwide. MCA also provides its service to senior living facilities, Area Agencies on Aging, PACE programs, Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) and faith-based organizations nationwide. Learn more at medicalcarealert.com.
Media Contact
Medical Care Alert
19575 Victor Parkway, Suite 100, Livonia, MI 48152
877-913-3680 | [email protected] | medicalcarealert.com
Source note: Ratings, test results and survey figures come from U.S. News & World Report reviews updated Nov. 4, 2026. U.S. News states that its rankings are independent of its financial relationships with companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best medical alert system, according to U.S. News & World Report? U.S. News named Medical Care Alert its top overall medical alert system in its 2026 - 2027 Best Medical Alert Systems rating, with a 4.8 rating.
What is the best medical alert smartwatch? U.S. News named Medical Care Alert's Senior Smart Watch With GPS the top medical alert smartwatch. It costs $39.95 per month plus a $149.95 one-time device fee.
How fast does the Medical Care Alert smartwatch detect a fall? In U.S. News testing, the smartwatch sounded its alarm within five seconds in all three fall-detection rounds. Automatic fall detection is an optional $10 per month add-on.
Does Medical Care Alert require a long-term contract? No. Unused prepaid subscription time is refunded if a customer cancels.
How much does Medical Care Alert cost? Monitoring starts at $29.95 per month for the landline in-home system and is $39.95 per month for the smartwatch and mobile GPS devices.