Personal Emergency Response System Medicaid Hawaii: Coverage, Eligibility, and Costs

How PERS Coverage Works Under QUEST Integration

A Personal Emergency Response System — the wearable button your parent presses to summon help during a fall or medical emergency — is a covered benefit under Hawaii's Med-QUEST program for members enrolled in QUEST Integration who meet specific clinical and living-situation criteria.

To qualify for a Medicaid-funded PERS, your parent must meet all three conditions: they live alone or spend significant periods unsupervised during the day, they have no regular in-home caregiver present during those unsupervised hours, and they score at least 5 functional points on Hawaii's DHS 1147 clinical assessment. The 5-point threshold means even seniors in the "at-risk" tier (below the full nursing facility level of care cutoff of 15 points) can receive a PERS device.

The managed care organization handles the authorization. Your parent's QUEST Integration service coordinator submits the request after verifying the living situation and clinical score. Once approved, the MCO contracts with a PERS vendor who installs the base unit and provides the wearable pendant or wristband.

What Medicaid Pays

Hawaii's fee-for-service reimbursement rates set the ceiling: up to $54.06 for initial PERS installation and setup, and up to $44.09 per month for ongoing monitoring service. Managed care plans may negotiate different rates with vendors, but your parent should never see a bill — the MCO pays the provider directly as long as the authorization is active.

The PERS benefit covers the base unit, the wearable alert device, 24/7 monitoring center access, and routine equipment maintenance. Some plans also cover cellular-enabled mobile PERS units for seniors who don't have a landline, though coverage varies by MCO.

If Your Parent Doesn't Qualify for Medicaid

Seniors who aren't enrolled in Med-QUEST can still get a PERS through private purchase. Prices, equipment, and contract terms vary by vendor; ask about monthly fees, installation, and cancellation terms before enrolling.

Medicare does not cover PERS devices — this is a common misconception. However, some Medicare Advantage plans sold in Hawaii include PERS as a supplemental benefit. Check your parent's plan's Summary of Benefits or call the plan directly.

Veterans enrolled in the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System may qualify for a PERS through the VA's Home Telehealth program, which provides remote patient monitoring devices at no cost to eligible veterans.

Getting One Set Up

If your parent is on Med-QUEST, contact their QUEST Integration health plan and ask the service coordinator to add PERS to the care plan. If they haven't had a DHS 1147 assessment recently, the coordinator will arrange one — the assessment confirms the clinical score needed for authorization.

If your parent isn't on Medicaid, start with their county ADRC. Some counties include PERS referrals as part of Kupuna Care or other state-funded aging services, though availability depends on funding.

For a complete walkthrough of all the home care benefits available through Med-QUEST and state programs, including how the DHS 1147 scoring works, see our Hawaii Home Care Navigation Guide.

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