Medical alert systems are tax deductible when a doctor documents that you need one for a specific health condition and your total unreimbursed medical costs for the year exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 213 – Medical, Dental, Etc., Expenses You also have to itemize instead of taking the standard deduction. For most people, that combination is a tall order, and paying through a health savings account or flexible spending account turns out to be the simpler way to get a tax break on the cost.
When the System Qualifies as a Medical Expense
The IRS allows deductions for costs that treat, prevent, or manage a disease or medical condition. A medical alert system fits that definition when it addresses a specific problem such as a heart condition, a seizure disorder, or a documented fall risk. A system bought for general peace of mind does not qualify. The IRS treats that as a personal expense, no different from a home security system.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 213 – Medical, Dental, Etc., Expenses
The cleanest proof of medical necessity is a written recommendation from your doctor dated before you buy or lease the device. A solid letter identifies you by name, states your diagnosis, names the specific system being recommended, explains why it is medically necessary for your condition, and carries the provider’s credentials, signature, and date. If the IRS ever questions the deduction, this letter is what separates a legitimate claim from a denied one.
Which Costs Count
Once medical necessity is established, both the equipment and the monitoring fees qualify. The monthly monitoring charge, which pays for the connection to an emergency response center, is the most straightforward piece. If you lease the equipment, those rental payments count as a medical expense too.2Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 – Medical and Dental Expenses
Buying the equipment outright is treated as a capital medical expense. The full purchase price is deductible in the year of purchase as long as it doesn’t increase the value of your home. A wearable pendant or a small base station won’t affect home value, so the entire cost qualifies. Operating and upkeep costs, including monitoring, remain deductible each year after that.3Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502 – Medical and Dental Expenses
Bundled systems are where this gets messy. Some packages include fire detection, carbon monoxide monitoring, or burglar alarms. Those features aren’t medical care, so their cost isn’t deductible. If your invoice lumps everything together, ask the provider for an itemized statement. You can only deduct the portion tied to the medical alert function.
The 7.5% AGI Threshold
Even with a qualifying system and perfect documentation, most people hit a wall here. You can only deduct unreimbursed medical expenses to the extent they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, and that threshold is fixed in current law.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 213 – Medical, Dental, Etc., Expenses
Say your AGI is $50,000. You’d need more than $3,750 in qualifying medical costs before deducting a single dollar. If your total medical spending for the year hit $6,000, only $2,250 would be deductible. A medical alert system running $40 to $60 per month adds roughly $480 to $720 a year, so by itself it won’t clear the floor. It helps most when stacked with prescriptions, doctor visits, dental work, and long-term care.
Itemizing also has to beat the standard deduction. For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly.4Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026 You only benefit from itemizing when your medical expenses above the 7.5% floor, combined with state and local taxes, mortgage interest, and charitable contributions, exceed that amount. Many taxpayers never get there.
Paying Through an HSA or FSA
If itemizing doesn’t work out, there’s a better route for most people. Health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts let you pay for qualifying medical expenses with pre-tax dollars, which effectively gives you a tax break without needing to clear any threshold. Medical alert systems that meet the medical necessity standard are eligible expenses under HSAs, FSAs, and health reimbursement arrangements.
One rule to watch: you can’t deduct the same expense twice. If you pay with HSA or FSA funds, you cannot also claim the cost on Schedule A.5Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 502, Medical and Dental Expenses
Medicare and Insurance Reimbursement
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover medical alert systems. Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans cover them partially or in full, depending on the plan. If any portion is reimbursed by insurance or Medicare Advantage, subtract that amount before you apply the 7.5% AGI calculation. Only the unreimbursed balance is deductible.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 213 – Medical, Dental, Etc., Expenses
If you’re shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan and an alert system matters to you, check the supplemental benefits before enrolling. A plan that includes a personal emergency response system eliminates the tax question entirely.
How to Claim It
If your medical expenses clear the threshold and itemizing beats the standard deduction, the deduction goes on Schedule A (Form 1040). You enter total unreimbursed medical and dental expenses on Line 1, and the form walks you through subtracting 7.5% of AGI.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule A (Form 1040) The medical alert costs are combined with prescriptions, copays, dental bills, eyeglasses, and other qualifying expenses. There is no separate line for the alert system.
Records to Keep
The IRS requires you to keep records that support your return for at least three years from the filing date.7Internal Revenue Service. IRS Audits For a medical alert system deduction, hold onto:
- Monthly statements or invoices, with an itemized breakdown if the system includes non-medical features.
- The signed letter of medical necessity from your doctor, dated before or at the time of purchase.
- Payment records such as credit card statements, bank records, or canceled checks. The deduction applies in the year you pay, not when you’re billed.
- Explanation of benefits forms showing any amounts covered by your insurer or Medicare Advantage plan.
Keeping these documents longer than three years costs nothing and gives you protection if the audit window is extended.