Wisconsin has 689 towns, from Kenosha County and Milwaukee County in the southeast to Bayfield County, Iron County and Vilas County up north. Every county from Adams County to Wood County has its own page on this site, so you can start here and then go local.
This page covers the basics that apply statewide: which kind of stair lift fits which kind of staircase, who in Wisconsin tends to need one, and which state and federal programs can help pay for it.
A straight stair lift runs on a single rail along one flight with no turns or landings. It is the simplest kind to install and usually the quickest to get in place.
If the stairs turn, wrap around a landing or split into two flights, you need a curved lift. The rail is built to fit that exact staircase, so the installer measures first and the lift is made to order.
Outdoor lifts are built for steps to a porch, deck or side door and use parts made to sit outside. Platform lifts carry a wheelchair instead of a seated rider, for someone who cannot move from a chair to a lift seat.
About 16.7 percent of Wisconsin residents are 65 or older, and roughly 61.4 percent of households own their home. Owning the home matters, because it lets you make a permanent change like a mounted rail without a landlord's permission.
If that includes your parent or you, the VA section below is worth a careful read, since the VA handles the lift and structural work through different benefits.
Wisconsin has two Medicaid long-term care programs that list stair lifts or home modifications as covered: IRIS and Family Care. Neither has a fixed dollar cap; the amount follows an approved plan. Under IRIS, home modifications over $1,000 require an independent assessment.
The Community Options Program (COP) is state-funded and run by counties, and it can pay for a stair lift as a home modification. For people who do not qualify for those, there are two loans: WisLoan, from $500 to $80,000, and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program, from $10,000 to $50,000. Both must be repaid.
Veterans can get a stair lift through VA Prosthetics when it is medically prescribed, with no set dollar cap. HISA is separate and pays for ramps and structural changes, not the lift itself.
Each county page covers that area on its own terms, from Dane County and Brown County to Door County, La Crosse County and St. Croix County. Pick yours from the county list to see the details where you live.
A self-directed Medicaid long-term care waiver where you manage your own budget, and it covers stair lifts. There is no fixed cap, but home modifications over $1,000 require an independent assessment.
Wisconsin's managed Medicaid long-term care benefit, which covers home accessibility modifications including stair lifts. The amount follows your approved plan with no fixed cap.
State-funded long-term support run by counties that can pay for a stair lift as a home modification. There is no fixed cap; funding follows an approved plan.
A low-interest statewide loan from $500 to $80,000 for assistive technology and home modifications, including stair lifts. Call (414) 291-7520.
A fixed-rate home improvement loan from $10,000 to $50,000 that can finance a stair lift as an eligible accessibility improvement, and it must be repaid. Call (800) 334-6873.
VA Prosthetics (PSAS) covers a medically prescribed stair lift with no set dollar cap, while HISA pays $6,800 for service-connected or $2,000 for non-service-connected ramps and structural changes, not the lift. Call (877) 222-8387.
It can. IRIS and Family Care are both Medicaid long-term care programs that cover stair lifts or home accessibility modifications, with the amount set by an approved plan.
Home modifications over $1,000 under IRIS require an independent assessment before they are approved.
The Community Options Program (COP) is state-funded and run by counties. There are also two loans: WisLoan at (414) 291-7520 and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program at (800) 334-6873.
No. HISA covers ramps and structural changes. The stair lift itself comes through VA Prosthetics when it is medically prescribed. Call (877) 222-8387.
A curved lift. Its rail is made to fit your specific staircase, so it is measured and built to order. Straight lifts only work on a single flight with no turns.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
