Does Medicare pay for stair lifts?
- Original Medicare
- Does not pay
- Counted as
- A home change not medical equipment
- Medicaid
- Sometimes through state waivers
- Original Medicare: no help with a stair lift
- Why: a stair lift does not count as durable medical equipment
- Medicare Advantage: a few plans give limited allowances, plan by plan
- New straight stair lift, fitted: roughly $2,500 to $5,000
Original Medicare does not pay for stair lifts. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer a limited allowance, so what you can get depends on your plan.
The short answer
Original Medicare is the government plan made up of Part A and Part B, and it does not cover stair lifts. As the National Council on Aging explains, Medicare does not put stair lifts in the durable medical equipment category, and that is why there is no coverage.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan instead, things look different. Some of these plans provide limited help for home safety changes, and a stair lift may qualify.
Why does Part B not cover it?
Part B helps pay for some equipment you use at home, called durable medical equipment. Medicare does not put stair lifts in that group, so Part B does not pay for one.
How do Medicare Advantage plans handle stair lifts?
Medicare Advantage, or Part C, is private insurance that replaces Original Medicare. Each company chooses its own extra benefits, so two plans can treat the same purchase very differently.
The National Council on Aging points out that some Part C plans provide limited coverage or allowances for home safety work. Stannah, a company that builds stair lifts, also notes that some Medicare Advantage plans include optional benefits that pay for stair lifts, leaving the final call to each plan's own terms.
What an allowance from your plan might look like
If your plan offers an allowance for home safety changes, it may help pay for a stair lift. An allowance is limited, so it might not cover the whole cost.
Read the plan's written benefits to find out.
How to check whether your plan helps
Three quick checks will tell you whether your plan can help.
- Start by finding out which type of Medicare you have, because only Advantage plans might offer this.
- Search your plan's benefits list for home safety changes or optional benefits, since an allowance would show up there.
- Note any dollar cap, so you know what part of the bill stays with you.
What a stair chair lift costs without Medicare
If your plan does not help with the cost, the National Council on Aging lists these price ranges, including installation.
| Kind of lift | Price with installation |
|---|---|
| Straight stairs, new | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| Curved stairs, new | $8,000 to $12,000 |
| Straight stairs, used | $1,500 to $3,000 |
How long your stairs run also plays a role. Our cost tool estimates a higher installed price for longer straight staircases.
| Steps going straight up | Rail length | Price installed, new |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | roughly 10 ft | roughly $2,500 to $5,000 |
| 13 | roughly 16 ft | roughly $2,575 to $5,075 |
| 16 | roughly 19 ft | roughly $2,800 to $5,300 |
| 20 | roughly 23 ft | roughly $3,100 to $5,600 |
Stair width can narrow your options. Of the 11 straight lifts we compared, only one works on stairs 26 inches wide. Widen that to 28 inches and all 11 should fit, going by the usual guide.
Weight limits vary too. Among the 16 models we compared, 350 lb is the typical limit, while the Harmar Pinnacle SL600HD is rated to 600 lb and the Acorn 180 has the lowest rating at 265 lb.
Other ways to pay for a stair lift
- Medicare: Original Medicare, the government health plan for people 65 and older, does not pay for a stair lift because it does not count one as medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans (private plans that take the place of Original Medicare) include home safety benefits, so check yours.
- Medicaid: Medicaid, the state health cover for people with low incomes, sometimes pays through a state program for changes to the home. It depends on the state.
- Veterans: The VA's HISA home improvement grant does not pay for stair lifts. Ask your VA medical center what other help you can get; veterans with a disability caused by their service may qualify for larger housing grants (SAH and SHA).
- USDA Section 504: Homeowners in rural areas who are 62 or older and have a very low income can get a USDA home repair grant of up to $10,000.