Alaska has 191 towns, from the Municipality of Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the North Slope Borough, Kodiak Island Borough and Ketchikan Gateway Borough. A stair lift question in Juneau Borough can look very different from one in the Bethel Census Area, so this page covers the basics that apply statewide and points you to the local page for your area.
Below you will find how to match a lift to your staircase, who in Alaska tends to need one, and which state and federal programs can help pay. Each program listing includes the phone number to call, so you can check eligibility before anyone measures a step.
A straight stair lift runs on a single rail up a staircase with no turns or landings. It is the simplest to fit and usually the quickest to install.
If your stairs turn a corner, wrap around a landing or curve, you need a curved lift with a rail bent to fit that exact staircase. That custom rail is why curved lifts take longer to arrive.
Steps outside the house, such as a porch or entry stairs, call for an outdoor model built for exposure to the weather. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift that carries the chair itself may be the better fit.
Alaska has a population of 708,159, and 13.2% of residents are 65 or older. That is the group most likely to start finding stairs hard, and the one several programs below are built for.
About 66.5% of Alaskans own their homes. Ownership matters here, because some grants pay more for owner-occupied homes than for rentals, and a renter will usually need the landlord's approval before a rail goes in.
If someone in your family served, the VA can be one of the stronger routes to a covered stair lift, as explained in the next section.
The Alaskans Living Independently (ALI) Waiver is the program that names stair lifts directly. Through its E-Mod benefit it funds up to $18,500 per project, renewable every 3 years.
Two grants treat a stair lift as a home modification. The AHFC Senior Access Program (SAP) offers up to $30,000 for owner-occupied homes in a moderate-cost area, with amounts that vary by cost area and administering nonprofit. HomeMAP offers up to $15,000 for owner-occupied homes and $12,000 for rentals through partner grantees.
Veterans should ask about VA Prosthetics (PSAS), which can provide a medically prescribed stair lift with no set dollar cap. Alaska Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) and the Alaska Senior Benefits Program do not cover stair lifts, though they can help with care and monthly costs. Details and phone numbers for each program are listed below.
We have local pages for every borough and census area in the state, including Fairbanks North Star Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Sitka Borough, Nome Census Area, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area.
Start with your local page to see what applies where you live, then call the program that fits your situation before scheduling an assessment.
A Medicaid HCBS Waiver that funds stair lifts through E-Mod, up to $18,500 per project and renewable every 3 years. Call (800) 478-9996.
A state housing grant for senior home accessibility modifications that covers stair lifts as a home modification, up to $30,000 for owner-occupied homes in a moderate-cost area, varying by cost area and administering nonprofit. Call (907) 330-8235.
Home assessment and modification grants for aging in place that cover stair lifts as a home modification, up to $15,000 for owner-occupied homes or $12,000 for rentals through partner grantees. Call (907) 563-2599.
VA Prosthetics (PSAS) can cover a medically prescribed stair lift with no set dollar cap, while HISA pays $6,800 (service-connected) or $2,000 (non-service-connected) for ramps and structural changes, not the lift. Call (877) 222-8387.
A Medicaid State Plan service for in-home help with daily living tasks, based on assessed care hours. It does not cover stair lifts or other equipment; call (800) 478-9996.
Monthly cash assistance for low-income seniors 65 and older, up to $250 per month at the highest tier. It does not cover stair lifts; call (888) 352-4150.
Through the Alaskans Living Independently (ALI) Waiver, yes. Its E-Mod benefit funds stair lifts up to $18,500 per project. Alaska Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) does not cover equipment. Both can be reached at (800) 478-9996.
The $18,500 per-project amount is renewable every 3 years.
HomeMAP offers up to $12,000 for rentals through partner grantees, compared with $15,000 for owner-occupied homes. Call (907) 563-2599 to ask about grantees near you.
The lift can come through VA Prosthetics (PSAS) when it is medically prescribed, with no set dollar cap. HISA grants of $6,800 or $2,000 cover ramps and structural changes rather than the lift. Call (877) 222-8387.
The program does not cover stair lifts. It provides monthly cash assistance to low-income seniors 65 and older, up to $250 per month at the highest tier. Call (888) 352-4150 for details.
Yes. Every borough and census area in Alaska has its own page, from Aleutians East Borough to Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
