Almost Half of Mortgages Still Sit at 4% or Lower, but Aging in Place Could Mean a $15,000 Stairlift Medicare Won’t Pay For

A pandemic-era mortgage rate can feel like a financial win, until stairs start causing trouble and a $15,000 solution falls outside the Medicare coverage many people expect.

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Consider a 68-year-old homeowner who refinanced her two-story house during the pandemic and is now locked into a rate below 4%. She wants to keep that mortgage. But after knee replacement surgery, climbing stairs becomes difficult, and she begins to wonder whether the home still works as she gets older. An installer quotes $15,000 for a curved stairlift, and Original Medicare will not pay for it.

The mortgage trade-off is genuine. Realtor.com’s analysis found that 49.1% of outstanding mortgages had rates of 4% or less in the second quarter of 2026. Its October report showed recent mortgage rates at 7.4%. For anyone who would need to borrow again to move, giving up a low-rate loan can make a single-story home less affordable than it first appears.

Holding onto the mortgage may save money, but accessibility has to be part of the decision too. A bedroom and bathroom on the main floor could remove the need for a lift. If not, she should compare renovation costs and look for help before deciding that staying is the cheaper option.

Why Medicare Classifies a Stairlift as Home Improvement

Part B covers medically necessary durable medical equipment, or DME, when it is prescribed for use at home. But a prescription does not make every useful item eligible. Medicare’s equipment rules specifically exclude stairway elevators, treating them as convenience items rather than primarily medical equipment. A doctor’s note saying she cannot safely use the stairs does not change that exclusion.

Prices vary widely depending on the staircase. Access 2 Mobility, a Texas installer, lists straight lifts at $2,500 to $5,000 and curved models at $8,000 to $15,000. Those figures are from one provider, not a national price sheet, but they show that the quoted amount falls within a published range. Curved tracks have to be built to match the staircase, which adds to the cost. Medigap Plan G does not close this gap, because its standard benefits do not cover a stairlift that Original Medicare excludes.

What Medicare Does Cover Inside the Home

Covered DME includes canes, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, hospital beds and commode chairs. After the $283 Part B deductible, the patient pays 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, as long as the supplier is enrolled in Medicare and accepts assignment. If a supplier does not accept assignment, the charge can be higher.

Ramps, widened doorways, grab bars and stairlifts are all outside that list. A covered walker or wheelchair may help someone move around one floor, but it will not solve the problem of reaching the upper level. Some Medicare Advantage plans include home-safety items as supplemental benefits, so it is important to read the plan’s Evidence of Coverage before assuming either way.

Where the $15,000 Might Come From

• Medicaid programs. Some state programs may pay for approved accessibility modifications for people who meet income, asset and care-needs tests. Homeownership does not automatically rule someone out: a primary residence may be excluded from countable assets, though home-equity limits can apply. Check which program in your state might help, whether enrollment is open and what approvals are needed.
• Veterans benefits. Eligible veterans should ask the prosthetics service at their Department of Veterans Affairs medical center whether a stairlift can be provided as medical equipment. The Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant specifically excludes stair glides, so it is not the program to rely on for the lift itself.
• Local aging agencies. An Area Agency on Aging can point to local accessibility grants, repair programs and equipment sources. It may also help with reconditioned equipment, though a used curved track will not necessarily fit another staircase.
• Your own savings. If outside help does not cover the full cost, the homeowner may have to pay the rest personally. Whether that affects Medicare premiums depends on where the money comes from.

Taking money from an ordinary savings account does not by itself create taxable income. A taxable withdrawal from a traditional individual retirement account, however, can. Social Security generally bases the income-related monthly adjustment amount, or IRMAA, on income from two years earlier, so a withdrawal in one year can affect premiums later.

The calculation uses modified adjusted gross income, or MAGI, which is adjusted gross income plus tax-exempt interest. For reference, the first surcharge tier in 2026 begins above $109,000 for single filers and $218,000 for joint filers. That adds $1,148.40 a year for someone enrolled in both Part B and Part D, or $2,296.80 for a couple when both spouses have both benefits. The thresholds and charges for 2028 have not been set yet.

A voluntary IRA withdrawal alone does not qualify for relief through Form SSA-44. A separate qualifying event that reduces income, such as retirement, may justify a request.

Get the Quotes and Coverage Answers Before Using Retirement Savings

1. Obtain three written quotes for equipment that fits the staircase and the person’s mobility needs. Ask whether a reconditioned unit is appropriate and whether the price includes the track, installation, electrical work and warranty. Compare that total with the cost of making a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom usable.
2. Apply for assistance before any installation begins. Contact the Area Agency on Aging, the state Medicaid office or the VA prosthetics office first, and ask whether approval is required before work starts. Paying first can mean losing eligibility for help.
3. Consider the tax consequences before choosing which account to use. Cash in a bank account and qualified Roth withdrawals generally do not add income to the Medicare calculation; selling investments may trigger taxable gains. If a traditional IRA withdrawal is necessary, estimate the effect on each year’s income before dividing the withdrawal between different tax years. Do not postpone a needed safety improvement solely to avoid a possible surcharge.