Most people contact Work and Income before they apply. If you get approval for a Disability Allowance to pay for your alarm, payments begin from whichever date is later:
the day you first contacted Work and Income about it
If the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is supporting you after an accident or injury, then your case owner works out what equipment you need because of your injury. This could include funding a medical alarm.
If your alarm was paid for by a Disability Allowance before you moved into the retirement village, when you move in you'll still receive the Disability Allowance for your alarm if:
you still need it, and
the cost isn't covered by the service fee at the retirement village.
If the cost is part of the standard service fee you're paying to live in a retirement village, you can't apply for a Disability Allowance to pay for it.
If you're a veteran
If your service qualifies you, and you can't get other government help, the Veterans' Independence Programme helps with the cost of a medical alarm.
Contact Veterans' Affairs to talk to a case manager about getting a medical alarm.
Most people get their alarm from a supplier accredited by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). This means the supplier:
offers agreed standards of service
has an approved complaints process, and
provides the alarm at a reasonable cost — usually $13 to $15 per week.
When you sign up, the supplier must give you a contract that gives details of their services and their complaints process. You can also get a copy of the Code of Practice for MSD's accredited suppliers of monitored medical alarms.
