Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation Incorporated

What Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation Incorporated does

Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation Incorporated is a Toronto-based registered Canadian charity (Charitable Registration No. 10686 3293 RR0001) founded in 1959 that provides medical identification and emergency-response subscription services to individuals with chronic or complex health conditions, dementia, and children with medical needs. Its core product is an engraved medical ID (bracelet, necklace, or smartwatch band) linked to a subscriber's Personal Health Record and a unique ID number, backed by a 24/7 Emergency Response Hotline that first responders can call to retrieve critical medical information during emergencies. The organization operates specialized programs including Safe & Found for dementia wandering, MedicAlert Kids for children, Connect Protect (a partnership with police services including Toronto Police, OPP, and Calgary Police), No Child Without, and IDEA for inclusion and accessibility.

The business model combines subscription revenue (annual plans with auto-renewal), a one-time $75 CAD activation fee, hardware sales of medical IDs, and charitable donations. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the medicalert.ca e-commerce site and phone hotline, supplemented by community partnerships with healthcare organizations, disease advocacy societies (Alzheimer Society Durham), and insurance channels (Sun Life's Lumino Health, Medavie Blue Cross). Recent product expansion includes NAVIVA, a connected safety wearable offering fall detection, two-way SOS, and Safe Zone alerts, and a line of engravable smartwatch-band IDs. The organization is Canada-only, has 11-50 employees, serves a subscriber base large enough to support a quarterly newsletter distributed to 80,000+ recipients, and operates as a charity rather than a for-profit enterprise with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or public listing.

Name

Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation Incorporated

Legal name

Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation Inc.

Website

https://medicalert.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation is a Toronto-based charity founded in 1959 that provides engraved medical IDs and 24/7 emergency-response subscriptions linked to subscribers' personal health records, serving Canadians with chronic conditions, dementia, and children with complex health needs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Identification Services

NAICS

Health Care and Social Assistance (62), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Alert / PERS Monitoring (Emergency Response) (BPAKAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wearable Medical Alert Devices (Pendants, Watches, Bands) (HSAHAHAI), Caregiver Monitoring, Check-In & Family Notification Platforms (HSAHAHAE), Connected Medical Devices & Wearables (Sensors, Patches, Implantables) (HLACAPAB)

Keywords

• Medical identification services
• Medical alert subscriptions
• Emergency response services
• Medical ID jewelry
• Personal health records

Headquarters

HQ city

North York

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Services: Annual subscription plans that provide access to the Personal Health Record system, 24/7 Emergency Response Hotline, and first responder access. Subscriptions auto-renew at term end.
2. One-time Activation Fees: One-time activation fee of $75 at initial registration to cover setup and review of Personal Health Information Record.
3. Medical ID Products: Sale of physical medical identification products including bracelets, necklaces, and smartwatch bands with engraved medical information.
4. Donations: Charitable donations from supporters, with matching programs (e.g., HomeEquity Bank matching up to $20,000). The organization is a registered Canadian charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation provides medical identification subscriptions that link engraved medical IDs (bracelets, necklaces, smartwatch bands) to subscriber Personal Health Records and a 24/7 Emergency Response Hotline. First responders can access critical health information including allergies, medications, medical conditions, and emergency contacts during emergencies when subscribers cannot communicate.

Product overview

MedicAlert Foundation Canada offers a unified platform combining physical medical identification products with 24/7 emergency response services. The core offering consists of MedicAlert IDs (bracelets, necklaces, and smartwatch bands) paired with subscription service plans that include a Personal Health Record and unique ID number. Add-on modules include NAVIVA (fall detection and SOS wearable technology), HealthNavigator (health monitoring), and +Cards (digital information storage). The company operates several specialized programs: Connect Protect (police partnerships), MedicAlert Kids, Safe & Found (dementia care), IDEA (inclusion initiatives), and No Child Without. All products and programs are tied together through the subscription-based service that provides the 24/7 Emergency Response Hotline and first responder access to subscribers' medical information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NAVIVA: Connected safety service with fall detection, two-way SOS, and Safe Zone alerts for independent living
• MedicAlert Kids
• Safe & Found
• Connect Protect
• No Child Without

Products and services

• MedicAlert IDs (Bracelets, Necklaces, Smartwatch Bands) Medical identification jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, smartwatch bands) engraved with vital health information, waterproof and rustproof, providing first responders instant access to critical medical info in emergencies.
• MedicAlert Subscriptions Annual service plans with one-time $75 activation fee covering setup and review of Personal Health Information Record, providing 24/7 Emergency Response Hotline and unique ID number accessible to first responders.
• NAVIVA by MedicAlert Wearable technology offering fall detection, two-way SOS, Safe Zone alerts, and access to important health information. Helps users maintain independence while staying connected to emergency assistance.
• HealthNavigator

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80,000 subscribers receive the quarterly newsletter, indicating active subscriber base.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toronto Police ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2022Toronto Police Service is a partner in MedicAlert's Connect Protect program, which helps bring persons with dementia or cognitive impairment home safely when they go missing.
• Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2022OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique has partnered with MedicAlert's Connect Protect program to help locate vulnerable individuals who may wander.
• Calgary Police ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2022Calgary Police Service partners with MedicAlert's Connect Protect program to assist in locating missing persons with cognitive impairments.
• Alzheimer Society DurhamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlzheimer Society Durham has partnered with MedicAlert through the MedicAlert Matters Podcast, with Carol O'Neil discussing the power of compassion and community in dementia care and how their partnership brings safety to families affected by dementia.
• Sun Life FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSun Life Financial partnership with MedicAlert, with Sun Life offering Lumino Health services that may include referrals to MedicAlert for health and safety support.
• Medavie Blue CrossminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedavie Blue Cross has a partnership with MedicAlert, potentially offering coverage or referrals for members seeking medical alert services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Life Alert: Life Alert is one of the most recognized medical alert and PERS providers in North America, offering 24/7 emergency monitoring with wearable help buttons. Directly comparable to MedicAlert's subscription-based PERS and connected device offering, though focused more on traditional in-home pendants than engraved IDs.
• Medical Guardian: Medical Guardian provides medical alert systems including in-home, mobile, and smartwatch-style devices with fall detection and GPS. Closely comparable to MedicAlert's NAVIVA product line and broader PERS subscription model.
• LifeStation (Connect America): LifeStation, now part of Connect America, offers medical alert monitoring services and connected devices including mobile GPS and fall detection. Directly comparable to MedicAlert's PERS subscription business and NAVIVA connected offering.
• MedicAlert Foundation United States: MedicAlert Foundation United States is the originator of the MedicAlert brand and operates similar engraved medical ID and PERS subscription services. The closest direct peer in terms of brand identity and product offering; the Canadian entity licenses the trademark from this organization.
• VRI (Valued Relationships, Inc.): VRI provides personal emergency response, fall detection, and remote patient monitoring services. Comparable to MedicAlert's PERS subscription and NAVIVA connected safety monitoring with overlap in senior and chronic-condition populations.
• Lively (formerly GreatCall): Lively, owned by Best Buy, offers mobile PERS devices with fall detection, urgent response, and health services. Comparable to MedicAlert's NAVIVA connected safety wearable and overall subscription PERS model.
• Bay Alarm Medical: Bay Alarm Medical is a leading US PERS provider offering in-home and mobile medical alert systems with 24/7 monitoring. Comparable to MedicAlert's subscription PERS service and NAVIVA connected device, though primarily US-focused versus MedicAlert's Canadian footprint.
• Alert1: Alert1 provides in-home and mobile medical alert systems with 24/7 monitoring and fall detection. Comparable subscription PERS model to MedicAlert's core offering with similar target demographic of seniors.

Broad incumbents

• ADT Health: ADT Health extends ADT's well-known home security business into medical alert monitoring services with wearable devices. Comparable PERS subscription model, but ADT is a broad incumbent in home security rather than a specialist like MedicAlert.
• Philips Lifeline: Philips Lifeline is a long-established medical alert service offered as part of Philips' broader health technology portfolio. Comparable PERS subscription and monitoring offering, but with a much larger corporate parent and broader product portfolio than MedicAlert.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MedicalertCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-medicalert-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/medicalertcanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Medic-Alert Foundation Incorporated