You can pay medical bills with a credit card, and in fact 54% of consumers in a recent Experian survey say they prefer to pay for medical services this way—but there are other options that typically make more financial sense.

What are the potential consequences of using credit cards to pay off your medical bills?

Credit card debt may cause more harm to your credit score. Eventually, those unpaid medical bills could end up in collection, reported to a credit bureau and factor into your credit score.

Is it safe to pay medical bills online?

Paying your medical bills online from your computer is safe, convenient and free.

When should I pay my medical bill?

Many insurers require providers to bill them in a timely manner, but that could be as long as 12 months, according to Ivanoff. Then, once a bill is sent to the insurer, health care providers have to wait for payment before billing a patient for the balance.

How long do you have to pay off medical bills?

It takes seven years for medical debt to disappear from your credit report. And even then, the debt never actually goes away. If you’ve had a recent hospital stay or an unpleasant visit to your doctor, worrying about the credit bureaus is likely the last thing you want to do.

What happens when you pay a medical bill with a credit card?

If you pay your medical bill with your credit card, you will be doing just that. Suddenly that $1,100 bill will have an 18 percent (or more, depending on your cardholder agreement) interest fee attached. Meaning you’ll be paying more in the long run than if you had just paid the hospital directly.

Is there an annual fee for a medical credit card?

Pay your cell phone bill with your card and get coverage for your phone against damage or theft up to $600, with a $25 deductible. No annual fee. You won’t pay an annual fee for the life of the card.

Why do you need a medical credit card?

Medical credit cards can be helpful financial tools when you’re hit with big bills but don’t have the cash to pay it off. Here are the main advantages of using a medical credit card: Quick access to medical care. Using a medical credit card means you won’t have to gather funds right away to foot the bill for elective or mandatory procedures.

How to transfer medical debt to a credit card?

When moving medical debt to a credit card, consider 0% balance transfer offers. The Chase Slate® Credit Card offers a low introductory balance transfer offer: $0 fee during the first 60 days of account opening and 0% intro APR for the first 15 months from account opening (then 14.99% to 23.74% variable APR).