Lifeline Review

Lifeline legitimacy and licensing

Yes. Lifeline started the personal emergency response business in North America in 1974 and says it has served more than 7.5 million people. It holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been BBB accredited since October 2024. Its Trustpilot score is 3.9 out of 5 from more than 1,200 reviews.

Being legitimate does not mean problem free. The BBB lists 163 complaints in three years, and one-star Trustpilot reviews (14%) focus on billing, cancellations and add-on sales calls. In September 2023 Lifeline began notifying people about a 2022 breach in which an outsider accessed documents with names, birth dates, medical conditions, insurance information and, in some cases, Social Security numbers. Lifeline offered credit monitoring to affected people whose Social Security or driver’s license numbers were involved.

One more caution: robocalls offering a “free” medical alert device are a known scam. New York’s Department of State advises hanging up without pressing any keys and never giving personal or payment details to an unsolicited caller. Order Lifeline only through lifeline.com or its published phone numbers.

Who owns Lifeline now? Is it still Philips Lifeline?

No. Philips bought Lifeline in 2006 and sold it to Connect America in July 2021, keeping an equity stake. The service is now branded simply “Lifeline” and the website is operated by ConnectAmerica, LLC. Lifeline’s office is in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and Connect America also runs a separate brand called Medical Alert.

The product names have changed too. Older models such as GoSafe have been replaced by HomeSafe (home), On the Go and On the Go Mini (mobile GPS) and a Lifeline Smartwatch. The caregiver app is now called My Lifeline.

Lifeline cost

As listed in October 2026, monitoring costs:

• HomeSafe Landline: $27.95 a month on an annual plan, $29.95 month to month.
• HomeSafe Cellular: $34.95 annual, $39.95 monthly.
• Smartwatch: $34.95 annual, $39.95 monthly.
• On the Go: $39.95 annual, $44.95 monthly.
• On the Go Mini: $44.95 annual, $49.95 monthly.

Fall detectionFall detection. Sensors in a pendant or watch that automatically place a call when they detect a likely fall. Compare medical alert systems adds $15 a month, and the CareCompass nurse line adds another $15. The standard setup fee is $99.95 ($50 activation plus $49.95 programming), although Lifeline is currently advertising free activation and free home setup for new customers. Promotional pricing lasts only the first billing cycle. Free shipping applies to semi-annual and annual plans, and paper invoices carry an invoice fee you can avoid with Auto Pay. AARP members get 15% off monitoring.

Example: HomeSafe Cellular with fall detection on an annual plan works out to $49.95 a month, or about $599 a year before tax and any setup fee.

What you get with Lifeline

Every system connects to Lifeline’s own response centers in the U.S. and Canada, staffed 24/7. Lifeline says its average answer time is under 30 seconds and that specialists get 80 hours of training. That is a company claim; NCOA’s 2026 review reported an average of 63 seconds for the HomeSafe Landline in its tests.

• HomeSafe: a base unit with a two-way speaker and a waterproof pendant or wristband that works up to about 800 feet away. The cellular version needs no landline and has a 30-hour backup battery.
• On the Go and On the Go Mini: all-in-one GPS pendants (the Mini also comes as a wristband) that work wherever there is cellular coverage. On the Go lasts up to four days per charge; Lifeline recommends charging both daily.
• Smartwatch: a help button with GPS and Wi-Fi location, heart rate and step tracking.
• Fall detection: sensors measure sudden force and changes in air pressure. If a fall is detected and you do not answer, the specialist may call emergency services. Lifeline says it does not catch every fall, so press the button whenever you can.

The free My Lifeline app lets caregivers check battery status, see the location of mobile users and update contacts.

Lifeline complaints and how to avoid problems

Across the BBB and Trustpilot, the recurring problems are price increases, billing errors, trouble canceling, sales calls for add-ons, false alarms and slow replacement equipment. To protect yourself:

• Ask for the full first-month total, including setup, fall detection and taxes, and get it in writing.
• Know that promotional pricing ends after the first billing cycle.
• When you cancel, write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and a confirmation number, and ship the equipment back with tracking.
• Keep the device unplugged and powered off after canceling, since a signal from it can reactivate service and billing.
• Lifeline’s sales form asks for consent to autodialed calls and texts even if you are on the Do Not Call list. You can buy without giving that consent, and you can revoke it later.
• Lifeline’s website terms require individual arbitration instead of court. If a billing dispute is not resolved, file with the BBB or your state attorney general.

Connect America was also named in Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits filed in 2018 and 2019 over telemarketing calls; those are allegations, and the outcomes are not published on the pages we reviewed.

Lifeline cancellation and return policy

Lifeline says you can cancel anytime with no cancellation fee for the service. To cancel, call 800-635-6156. The catch is timing: automatic payments continue until Lifeline receives your equipment, then Auto Pay stops. If you cancel an order after it ships, there is a $50 order cancellation fee and you still return the equipment.

On the Go pendants bought by consumers can be returned within 15 days of purchase if unworn, in original packaging and with a return authorization; otherwise Lifeline may deny credit or charge a restocking fee of up to $50. Lifeline does not publish a general free trial for its other systems.

Fall risk and when to talk to a professional

A medical alert system calls for help after something happens; it does not prevent falls or monitor health. If you or a parent has fallen, feels unsteady, has new dizziness, or takes medicines that cause drowsiness, talk to a doctor about a fall risk check. In an emergency, call 911 directly if you can.

Lifeline’s CareCompass add-on connects you to a licensed nurse for guidance, but Lifeline says the nurse cannot diagnose or replace a doctor’s treatment plan, and it is separate from emergency response.