Nearly Half of Mortgages Carry Rates of 4% or Less. Staying Put Could Bring a $15,000 Stairlift Bill Original Medicare Won’t Cover
A locked-in pandemic mortgage rate feels like a financial lifeline until the stairs become a problem and the $15,000 fix lands outside every Medicare benefit you thought you had.
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Imagine a 68-year-old who refinanced her two-story house during the pandemic and now pays less than 4%. She wants to keep that mortgage. But while recovering from knee replacement surgery, she struggles with the stairs and starts questioning whether the house will work for her as she ages. An installer quotes $15,000 for a curved stairlift. Original Medicare won’t cover it.
The mortgage dilemma is real. Realtor.com’s analysis found that 49.1% of outstanding mortgages carried rates of 4% or less in the second quarter of 2026. Its October report put recent mortgage rates at 7.4%. For someone who needs another loan to move, giving up a low rate can make a single-level home harder to afford.
Keeping the mortgage may save money, but making the house accessible belongs in the calculation too. A usable ground-floor bedroom and bathroom could avoid the need for a lift. Otherwise, she needs to price the changes and check for assistance before deciding that staying is cheaper.
Why Medicare Treats Your Stairlift as Home Remodeling
Part B covers medically necessary durable medical equipment (DME) ordered for use at home, but a prescription does not make every helpful device eligible. Medicare’s equipment coverage list specifically excludes stairway elevators, classifying them as convenience equipment rather than primarily medical equipment. A doctor’s statement that she cannot safely climb stairs does not override that exclusion.
Prices depend heavily on the staircase. Texas installer Access 2 Mobility lists installed straight lifts at $2,500 to $5,000 and curved models at $8,000 to $15,000. Those are one supplier’s estimates, not national fixed prices, but they put this hypothetical quote within a published range. Curved tracks must fit the staircase, which adds to the cost. Medigap Plan G does not fill this gap because its standard benefits do not cover a stairlift excluded by Original Medicare.
What Medicare Will Pay for Inside Your House
Covered DME includes canes, walkers, wheelchairs and scooters, hospital beds and commode chairs. After the $283 Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, provided the supplier enrolls in Medicare and accepts assignment. A supplier that refuses assignment can charge more.
Ramps, widened doorways, grab bars and stairlifts all fall outside that list. A covered walker or wheelchair keeps you mobile on one floor and does nothing to get you upstairs. Some Medicare Advantage plans list home-safety items as supplemental benefits, so read your plan’s Evidence of Coverage before you assume either way.
Where the $15,000 Could Actually Come From
- Medicaid programs. Some state programs cover approved accessibility work for people who meet financial and care-needs requirements. Owning a home does not automatically disqualify someone: a primary residence may be excluded from countable assets, although home-equity limits can apply. Ask the state which program could cover the lift, whether enrollment is open and what approval is required.
- Veterans benefits. Eligible veterans should ask their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center’s prosthetics service 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 benefit to count on for the lift itself.
- Local aging agencies. An Area Agency on Aging can help identify local accessibility grants, repair programs and equipment resources. Ask about reconditioned equipment, but don’t assume a used curved track will fit another staircase.
- Your own savings. If assistance falls short, she may have to pay the balance herself. Whether that spending affects Medicare premiums depends on where the money comes from.
Taking money from an ordinary savings account does not itself create taxable income. A taxable withdrawal from a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) can. Social Security generally uses income from two years earlier to set the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA), so a 2026 withdrawal could affect 2028 premiums.
The calculation uses modified adjusted gross income (MAGI): adjusted gross income plus tax-exempt interest. For illustration, the first surcharge tier in 2026 starts above $109,000 for single filers and $218,000 for joint filers. It adds $1,148.40 a year for someone with both Part B and Part D, or $2,296.80 for a couple when both spouses have both benefits. The 2028 thresholds and charges are not yet known.
A voluntary withdrawal alone does not qualify for relief through Form SSA-44. A separate qualifying event that lowers income, such as retirement, may support a request.
Lock Down Quotes and Coverage Answers Before Spending Retirement Cash
- Get three written quotes for equipment that fits the staircase and her mobility needs. Ask whether a reconditioned unit is suitable and whether the price includes the track, installation, electrical work and warranty. Compare that total with making a bedroom and bathroom usable on the ground floor.
- Apply for assistance before installation. Contact your Area Agency on Aging, state Medicaid office or VA prosthetics office first, and ask whether the program requires approval before work begins. Paying first can lose help.
- Compare the tax cost before choosing an account. Existing bank cash and qualified Roth withdrawals generally add no income to the Medicare calculation; selling investments may produce taxable gains. If a traditional IRA withdrawal is needed, estimate the effect on each year’s income before splitting it between December and January. Don’t delay a necessary safety improvement solely to manage a possible surcharge.
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Gerelyn Terzo is the author of dividend investing handbook "Dividend Investing Strategies: How to Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." A veteran financial journalist, she covers agri-finance for outlets like Global AgInvesting and the broader stock market and personal finance for 24/7 Wall Street. She began at CNBC and later helped launch Fox Business in New York. Gerelyn currently resides in Woodland Park, Colorado and dabbles in nature photography as a hobby.
