Does Medicare Cover Stair Lifts & Lift Chairs?

Key Takeaways

• Original Medicare generally does not cover stair lifts. Medicare considers stair lifts to be home modifications rather than durable medical equipment (DME).

• Medicare does cover a portion of lift chairs. While Medicare will not pay for the fabric or the furniture part of the chair, Part B does cover the motorized seat lift mechanism inside the chair.

• You need a doctor’s prescription. To get coverage for a seat lift mechanism, you must have a face-to-face visit with your doctor. They must write a prescription stating the equipment is medically necessary.

• Medicare Advantage plans may offer more. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer extra benefits for home modifications or over-the-counter items that Original Medicare does not cover.

• Financial assistance is available. If Medicare does not cover your mobility equipment, you may find help through Veterans Affairs, state Medicaid waivers, or local community groups.

Mobility changes are a normal part of life. As we get older, getting up from a soft chair or climbing a steep staircase can become difficult. If you or a loved one are finding it hard to move around the house safely, you might be looking into mobility equipment like stair lifts and power lift chairs.

Staying comfortable and safe in your own home is incredibly important. However, mobility equipment, like lift chairs, can be expensive.

A lift chair looks just like a normal living room recliner, but it has a powerful motorized mechanism built inside. When you press a button on a remote, the entire chair tilts forward and lifts, helping you easily move from a seated position to a standing position. 

A stair lift (sometimes called a stair chair lift or a stairlift) is a motorized chair that travels along a track mounted to your staircase. It safely carries a person up and down the stairs.

 

Why Medicare Covers Some Mobility Equipment but Not Others

To understand how Medicare handles stair lifts and lift chairs, it helps to know how Medicare classifies medical items.

Medicare Part B helps cover doctor visits and outpatient care. It also covers durable medical equipment (DME). For Medicare to consider an item as DME, the equipment must meet these rules:

• It must be able to withstand repeated use.
• It must be used for a medical reason.
• It is useful to someone who is sick or injured.
• It is used in your home.
• It has an expected lifetime of at least three years.

Items like wheelchairs, walkers, and hospital beds easily fit this list. However, things get a little more complicated when we look at items that are attached to your house, or items that could also be standard living room furniture.

Does Medicare Cover Stair Lifts?

Under Original Medicare, stair lifts are not covered.

Original Medicare considers a stair lift to be a "home modification" or a "convenience item" rather than durable medical equipment. Because a stair lift is permanently installed into the structure of your home, and because it does not treat a specific medical condition, Medicare Part B will not pay for the cost of a stair lift or the cost of the installation.

Will Medicare Cover a Stair Lift if My Doctor Prescribes It?

Yes, your doctor can write a prescription or a letter of medical necessity recommending that you get a stair lift for your safety. However, for most people, Original Medicare will not pay for any part of a stair lift.

Even with a prescription from a Medicare-enrolled provider, Original Medicare still will not cover the cost. The rules regarding home modifications are very strict. Even if a stair lift is medically necessary to prevent falls, Original Medicare will not provide reimbursement.

There is one very rare exception. In some highly specific cases, Medicare might cover a small portion of the elevating lifting device itself as a patient lift, but they will not cover the track, the motor that moves the chair up the track, or the installation costs.

 

Does Medicare Cover Lift Chairs?

Medicare will not pay for the entire cost of a lift chair, only for a specific part of it. They will only cover a portion of the cost for the seat lift mechanism inside it. You will be responsible for paying for the furniture portion of the chair, plus your standard Medicare Part B deductibles and coinsurance.

Medicare Part B views a lift chair as two separate pieces:

1. The Furniture: The fabric, the cushions, and the wooden frame of the chair.
2. The Seat Lift Mechanism: The internal motor and lifting device that pushes the chair up and down.

Original Medicare considers the seat lift mechanism to be durable medical equipment (DME). However, Medicare considers the outside of the chair to be regular furniture.

 

What Are Medicare's Requirements for a Lift Chair?

Getting Medicare to cover the lifting mechanism is not as simple as just buying a chair and sending in a receipt. There is a strict process you must follow.

To qualify for coverage, you must meet all of the following conditions:

1. Get an Order From Your Treating Practitioner

You must schedule an in-person, face-to-face visit with your doctor to discuss your mobility issues. During this visit, your doctor must decide that a seat lift mechanism is medically necessary for your health and safety.

2. The Qualifying Diagnosis

What diagnosis will cover a lift chair? Medicare requires that you have a severe medical condition that stops you from standing up on your own. Common qualifying conditions include:

• Severe arthritis of the hip or knee.
• A severe neuromuscular disease (such as muscular dystrophy or Parkinson's disease).

Your doctor must confirm that your condition is so severe that you cannot stand up from a regular chair without help.

3. Ability to Walk

You must be able to walk once you are standing up. Even if you use a cane or a walker, you must be capable of independent mobility once the chair lifts you to a standing position. If you are entirely confined to a wheelchair and cannot walk at all, Medicare usually will not cover a lift chair, because standing up will not help you move around the room.

4. Using a Medicare-Approved Supplier

You cannot buy a lift chair from a standard furniture store if you want Medicare to help pay for it. You must purchase your chair from a medical equipment supplier that is actively enrolled in Medicare. If the supplier is not Medicare-enrolled, Medicare will not pay the claim, and you will have to pay the full price out-of-pocket.

How Much Do Stair Lifts and Lift Chairs Cost?

• Straight Stair Lifts: If you have a standard, straight staircase with no landings or curves, a stair lift is relatively simple to install. The average price of a stair lift for a straight staircase usually ranges from $3,000 to $5,000, including professional installation.
  
• Curved Stair Lifts: If your staircase turns, has a landing, or is spiral, you will need a custom curved track. Because the track must be specially manufactured to fit the exact angles of your home, curved stair lifts are much more expensive. These typically cost between $9,000 and $15,000 or more.
• Lift Chairs: The total retail cost of a power lift chair usually ranges from $600 to $2,000, depending on the fabric, size, and extra features. If you meet all the medical requirements and use a Medicare-approved supplier, Medicare Part B will help pay for the seat lift mechanism, but not the chair itself. The mechanism is usually valued at around $300 to $400. Once you have met your annual Medicare Part B deductible, Medicare will pay 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for the lift mechanism. You will pay the remaining 20% coinsurance for the mechanism, plus the entire cost of the furniture portion of the chair. Even with Medicare coverage, your out-of-pocket portion of the cost for a lift chair will likely be several hundred dollars.

 

Medicare Advantage Plans and Extra Benefits

Original Medicare rules apply to everyone enrolled in standard Part A and Part B. However, many people choose to get their coverage through Medicare Advantage plans (Part C).

Wellcare offers a range of Medicare and D-SNP plans to provide members with affordable access to doctors, nurses, and specialists. For more than 20 years, Wellcare has offered a range of medical and social support services. We believe that healthcare should be simple, personal, and accessible.

Many Medicare Advantage plans offer benefits not included in Original Medicare. These plans are built with a whole health approach, for real people, with benefits that support not just physical health, but everyday needs as well.

Depending on your specific plan and where you live, a Medicare Advantage plan might offer extra benefits that could help with mobility equipment. For example, some plans offer:

• Over-the-Counter (OTC) Allowances: Some plans provide a flexible spending card for health-related items.
• Home Modification Benefits: Certain specialized plans, particularly Special Needs Plans (SNPs), may include allowances for minor home modifications to help you age in place safely.
• Care Coordination: Wellcare is here to help members navigate their unique healthcare journey. Care coordinators can help you find Medicare-approved suppliers in your area.

It is always a good idea to check your specific plan's Evidence of Coverage or call your plan's customer service number to see exactly what mobility equipment benefits you might have.

 

Alternative Financial Assistance for Mobility Equipment

If you need a stair lift or a lift chair but cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs, there are other ways to get help. While getting brand-new equipment completely for free is difficult, several programs offer major financial assistance for those who qualify.

Other Programs That May Help With Mobility Equipment Costs

• Veterans Affairs (VA) If you are a veteran, the VA is one of the best resources for mobility equipment. If your mobility issues are tied to a service-connected injury, the VA may pay the entire cost of a stair lift or a lift chair. Even if your condition is not service-connected, the VA offers housing grants (like the HISA grant) that can help pay for home modifications like stair lifts. You will need to undergo a VA evaluation to qualify.
• Medicaid and HCBS Waivers Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps people with limited income and resources. While standard Medicaid might not cover a stair lift, many states offer Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. These waivers are designed to help seniors stay in their own homes instead of moving to a nursing home. Under an HCBS waiver, Medicaid will often pay for home modifications, including stair lifts and lift chairs.
• Community Groups and Non-Profits Local organizations can be a great help. Groups like Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, or local chapters of the Lions Club or Rotary Club sometimes help seniors pay for or install home modifications. Additionally, you can contact your local Area Agency on Aging to ask about state-specific grants for seniors.
• Rent-to-Own Options If you only need mobility help for a short time—for example, you are recovering from a hip replacement surgery—look into rent-to-own or standard rental options. Many medical equipment suppliers will let you rent a stair lift or a lift chair by the month. This is much cheaper than buying the equipment outright if you only need it for a few months.

Will Social Security Pay for a Stair Lift?

Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, like your standard retirement check or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), do not directly pay for medical equipment. You can use your monthly benefit money however you like, but the SSA does not write checks specifically for stair lifts. If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to low income, you automatically qualify for Medicaid in most states, which can open the door to the HCBS waiver programs mentioned above.

Alternatives to Stair Lifts for Seniors

There are a few alternative options to consider to keep your home safe if a stair lift is too expensive and you cannot find financial assistance

• Main Floor Living The safest and most affordable alternative to a stair lift is rearranging your home so you do not need to use the stairs. This might mean moving your bedroom to a downstairs living room or dining room. If you have a full bathroom on the ground floor, main floor living completely removes the danger of climbing stairs.
• Patient Lifts (Hoyer Lifts) If a person is completely unable to stand, a mechanical patient lift (often called a Hoyer lift) might be necessary. A patient lift uses a sling to safely lift a person from a bed to a wheelchair. Unlike stair lifts, Original Medicare Part B does cover manual and electric patient lifts as durable medical equipment, as long as your doctor prescribes it.
• Ramps and Grab Bars If your stairs are outside (like porch steps) or if you only have one or two steps inside, a wheelchair ramp might be a better and cheaper solution than a motorized stair lift. Adding sturdy grab bars along all staircases and in bathrooms is also a low-cost way to vastly improve home safety.
• Physical Therapy Sometimes, difficulty climbing stairs or standing up is related to a loss of muscle strength that can be improved. Medicare Part B covers physical therapy when it is medically necessary. A physical therapist can work with you in your home to help improve your balance, leg strength, and joint mobility, making it easier to navigate your home safely.

Making decisions about home modifications and mobility equipment can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to figure it out alone. By understanding how Medicare coverage works, what your doctor needs to provide, and what community resources are available, you can make the best choice for your health, your home, and your budget.