Amounts paid for special equipment installed in your home for improvement qualify as medical expenses if specified by a physician that the equipment is mainly needed for or as a result of a specific medical condition. Please retain the prescription or other order with your tax records. If the capital expenditure increases the value of the property, the excess value is not reimbursable.
Improvements made to accommodate a residence for a person's disability do not usually increase the value of the residence, and the full cost is usually reimbursable. Only reasonable costs to accommodate a personal residence for a disabled condition are considered medical care. Additional costs for personal motives, such as for architectural or aesthetic reasons, are not reimbursable
Example. You have a heart ailment. On your doctor's advice, you install an elevator in your home so that you will not have to climb stairs. The elevator costs $8000. An appraisal shows that the elevator increases the value of your home by $4,400. You figure your medical expense like this: