Guide 5: I Am Unable to Pay for My Care Up Front
Apply for a hospital financial assistance program
See if you are eligible for financial assistance (free or discounted care, also called “charity care”). Nonprofit hospitals are required to have financial assistance policies. Many states require either nonprofit hospitals or all hospitals in that state to offer a specific level of assistance. Hospital financial assistance policies are usually posted on the hospital’s website. You may also call the billing office to ask for more information or a copy of the application.
Even if you are not sure you will qualify, it is better to submit a financial assistance application early so that you do not miss any deadlines. Further, even if you think you have already missed the deadline, it is usually worth applying in case the hospital will still discount or write off your bill.
If you need help applying for financial assistance, contact Dollar For.
Avoid using a credit card to pay for your medical billsIf possible, avoid using a credit card to pay for your medical bills
Some doctors and hospitals ask for a credit card upfront. You do not have to provide your credit card information, but be aware that the provider may not agree to treat you. Instead, find another provider willing to treat you without taking your credit card information in advance. In New York, hospitals and health providers are prohibited from requiring credit card pre-authorization or requiring the patient to have a credit card on file.
Three reasons why you should not use a credit card to pay for your medical bills
1. It is harder to negotiate or fix billing errors
As soon as you pay with a credit card, the doctor or hospital has no reason to negotiate the amount of the bill because they have already been fully paid. Also, it is harder to get financial assistance after you have paid with a credit card. If something happens that makes it difficult to pay off your credit card debt, you won’t be able to work out a no-interest payment plan with the hospital or doctor. In addition, it will be harder to address billing errors once the charges have been put on a credit card.
2. Late fees and high interest rates can make your medical bill even more expensive
If you don’t have enough money to pay off your medical bill in full right away, setting up a no-interest payment plan with your provider will be less expensive than the potential interest and late charges associated with your credit card.
3. You could lose protections related to medical credit reporting
Some state laws and voluntary actions by credit reporting companies offer stronger consumer protections for medical debt than for credit card debt. However, if you pay your medical bill with a credit card, you lose those medical debt protections.
For example: The three major credit bureaus have voluntarily refrained from adding medical debt to your credit report until payments are one year past due, removed paid medical debt from credit reports, and excluded any medical debt under $500 from credit reports. However, these protections do not apply if you paid for the medical bill with a credit card.
Common medical credit cards
Some health care providers, including dentists and eye doctors, offer medical credit cards to patients who don’t have insurance coverage or can’t afford their out-of-pocket costs. Common medical credit cards are CareCredit by Synchrony Bank, Wells Fargo Health Advantage, and HealthiPlan by Comenity.
Many medical credit cards have “deferred interest” terms. These credit cards are often advertised as “no interest” or “0% interest” for a specified time period, such as 12 or 18 months. If the patient pays off the full balance before the end of the promotional period, the patient will pay no interest. However, if any portion of the balance remains after the promotional period, interest is assessed on the entire purchase, going back to the original purchase date.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DEFERRED INTEREST CREDIT CARDS
Patients who pay deferred interest pay significantly more interest than they would have paid if they had used another credit card. This is because the interest rate on the most common deferred interest credit cards is much higher than the interest rate on most general-purpose credit cards. For instance, as of December 2025 the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on CareCredit cards was 32.99%. In 2023, Synchrony Bank reported that nearly one in four people with deferred interest CareCredit cards did not pay off their balance in time, so those people owed deferred interest on top of the original charges. That means that people pay much more than their original medical bill.
Example: A patient pays for a $5,000 medical bill using a deferred interest credit card with a two-year promotional period. The patient pays off all but $200 by the end of the two years. However, the next bill will include interest dating back to the time of purchase. If the APR is 32.99%, the patient will owe nearly $1,650 in interest. That means what used to be a $5,000 bill cost the patient about $6,650 in total.
Protections and Complaints Around Medical Credit Cards
California, Illinois, and New York have protections around medical credit cards. California patients can sue for violations such as providers signing up patients for deferred interest medical credit cards. In Illinois, you can file a complaint if your dentist improperly signed you up for a medical credit card. In New York, you can file a complaint with the Attorney General or the Department of Financial Services.
No matter where you live, you should consider filing a complaint if:
- You were signed up for a medical credit card by your provider’s office without your knowledge; or
- You were charged for services you did not receive; or
- You believe your provider’s office acted improperly in another way.
You can file a complaint with the State Board that licenses that provider (for example, the State Board of Dentistry) or with your state Attorney General’s office. You may also file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
To report misconduct regarding CareCredit or Wells Fargo medical credit cards, file a complaint with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. To report misconduct about a HealthiPlan card offered by Comenity, file a complaint with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Medical loans and other medical payment productsMedical loans and other medical payment products
Other companies offer payment products for medical care, which may be described as a medical loan, a payment plan, or a line of credit. These companies may say that they “partner” with your medical provider. However, patients should understand that these products are offered through another company, not through the provider’s office. Patients who use these alternatives to pay their medical bills cannot work with the provider’s office to change the monthly payment requirements, and they may have a harder time addressing billing errors.
Some common brands of medical payment products are are:
- Prosper
- AccessOne
- MedCredit
- PayZen
- Curae
- CarePayment
Patients should make sure they understand the terms of any payment product they are offered. What is the interest rate? Some products may advertise a 0% interest rate, but only patients that can pay the debt in a few payments qualify for the 0% interest rate. Some products may have deferred interest terms. Patients should also consider what fees will be charged if payments are late.
