Emergency medical costs are one of the biggest financial worries facing Americans. A good savings plan is a great way to ensure you have the finances for regular medical expenses including medical procedures, screenings, and check-ups. But what happens if unforeseen, emergency medical costs pop up? Credit cards can provide a vital lifeline when emergency healthcare costs arise – buying the cardholder time to pay down the debt at lower interest rates. Here are our top medical credit cards for 2023 to help you save of medical procedures and healthcare costs:
At a Glance
Why Use a Credit Card to Pay for Medcial and Health Expenses?
Using a credit card to pay for your medical expenses might sound strange, but it can help save you considerable money in some instances.
First and foremost, paying for your medical procedures with a credit card is convenient because it allows you to pay for the services without having to carry large amounts of cash or write a check. Not only that, but you can offset those payments, meaning you can pay down the bill over time, at reduced interest. This is especially true if your credit card offers 0% intro APR on procedures or purchases.
Many credit cards offer rewards programs that can help you earn cash back, points, or miles for your eligible purchases. These rewards can, in turn, be used to offset the cost of the medical procedure or to fund future procedures.
Finally, using a credit card to pay for medical costs provides purchase protection against fraud or other disputes. If you encounter any issues with the care provider, you can dispute the charge with your credit card issuer, who can help you resolve the issue.
The Best Credit Cards for Medical and Healthcare Expenses
Here are our top medical credit cards
SmartHealth PayCard
SmartHealth PayCard
SmartHealth PayCard
- 18% Regular Purchase APR
- See Terms Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The SmartHealth PayCard™ Mastercard® is a medical credit card that offers coverage for unexpected medical costs, prescriptions, and more. The card, which features credit limits of up to $30,000, also offers accidental death insurance, accidental medical expense insurance, and prescription savings – for a $120 annual fee.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- 90 seconds to apply, and get a virtual card for use immediately
- Individual and family benefits of $5,000 accident and injury medical indemnity benefit coverage
- SmartHealth Rx provides pharmacy discounts of up to 85% on most generic drugs
- May also be used for veterinarian services
- Regular Purchase APR: 18%
- Cash Advance APR: See Terms
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: See Terms
- Annual Fee: $120
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
- You anticipate having additional medical expenses in the coming year
- You have children or pets and want the assurance of additional medical coverage
- You want to finance elective surgeries over-time
- You have insurance but want extra coverage and prescription savings
SmartHealth PayCard
The SmartHealth PayCard™ is a medical credit card that offers coverage for unexpected medical costs, prescriptions, and more. The card, which features credit limits of up to $30,000, also offers accidental death insurance, accidental medical expense insurance, and prescription savings – for a $120 annual fee.
What makes the SmartHealth PayCard different from other medical credit cards is that it only works on medical purchases – despite carrying Mastercard branding and purchasing power. Fortunately, this somewhat restrictive purchase category is relatively broad, including the following medical expenses and procedures:
| Ambulance services | Chiropractors | Cosmetic surgery | Mental health and counseling: couples/individual/debit |
| Dental and medical laboratories | Dental/lab/medical/ophthalmic hospital equipment and supplies | Dentists, orthodontists | Dermatologists |
| Drugs, druggists, sundries | Drug stores, pharmacies | Health practitioners | Hearing aids-sales, service, supply stores |
| Hospitals and physicians | Insurance premiums | Nursing and personal care facilities | Opticians, optical goods, and eyeglasses |
| Optometrists, ophthalmologists | Orthopedic goods-artificial limb stores | Osteopathic physicians | Podiatrists |
| Radiology | Veterinary services |
Another unique feature of the card is up to $5,000 per year for costs associated with covering hospital admissions, outpatient ER visits, and ambulance use through this indemnity reimbursement coverage. This benefit, known as “Accident Medical Expense Insurance,” is not ACA compliant but does offer some protection for unforeseen medical costs.
Other notable features of the SmartHealth PayCard™ Mastercard include:
- Access to the SmartHealth Rx mobile app – offering prescription savings
- Ability to add authorized users with no extra credit checks
- Virtual cards and instant access upon approval
- Mastercard Zero Fraud Liability
CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™
CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™
CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™
- 29.99% Regular Purchase APR
- 29.99% Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™ is an infinitely useful credit card specifically designed to make medical and healthcare costs more affordable with up to payment plans ranging from 6 to 60 months. There is no annual fee and cardholders can also earn 2X points on many types of wellness and health-related expenditures.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- 2X points on CareCredit Network purchases
- 2X points on Health & Wellness
- 2X points at grocery stores
- 2X points at pet stores
- 1X points on all other purchases
- Redeem points for statement credit, gift cards, merchandise and more
- Regular Purchase APR: 29.99%
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99%
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 4% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- You have health complications or upcoming (and costly) medical procedures in the near future
- You're responsible for healthcare expenses of children and/or the whole family
- You have a large family and need assistance paying for routine treatments such as braces or eye exams
- You have an illness-prone or injured pet
- You do not have a 2% cash back rewards card
- You have limited access to health insurance
- You enjoy very active, outdoor-based hobbies
- You own multiple one or more gym memberships
CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard
The CareCredit® Rewards™ Mastercard™ is another medical credit card. The card offers special financing of up to 48 months on select medical procedures of $1,000 or more. Cardholders can select from medical providers in the CareCredit network and then choose a repayment plan that works for them: deferred repayment without interest or reduced APR and fixed monthly payments for 24, 36, or 48 months.
The card also earns double points on a variety of health-centric categories, including:
- CareCredit network purchases
- Health & wellness stores and service providers
- Grocery stores
- Pet stores
The CareCredit network is the primary concern for those seeking a quality medical credit card – and here, the CareCredit Mastercard shines. The card provides special financing or 2X points on a selection of non-emergency care and services, including:
| Chiropractors | Cosmetic procedures | Dentistry | Dermatology |
| Fitness | Hearing | Laboratory and diagnostics | Medical equipment and supplies |
| Sleep specialists | Vision care | Weight loss |
Other notable features of the CareCredit® Rewards™ Card include:
- No annual fee
- Redeem points for statement credit, gift cards, merchandise, and more
- Fixed-rate APR of 26.99% on purchases and cash advances
- Mastercard Zero Fraud Liability
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
- 14.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 14.99% to 29.99% Balance Transfer APR
At a Glance
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® offers no fees, low rates, cash back, and credit lines up to $25,000 in one unique package. The card provides the flexibility and predictability consumers need to pay down balances and get debt-free quickly.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- $200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions*
- 3% unlimited cash back on every purchase in Home, Health, and Auto categories
- No annual fee
- Enjoy Visa Signature benefits, like Roadside Dispatch, Price Protection, Extended Warranty and more
- Up to 10% cash back from your favorite brands with Upgrade Shopping
- No touch payments with contactless technology built in
- See if you qualify in seconds with no impact to your credit score
- Great for large purchases with predictable payments you can budget for
- Mobile app to access your account anytime, anywhere
- Use your card anywhere Visa is accepted
- Relax knowing that you are protected in case of unauthorized transactions with Visa’s Zero Liability Policy
- Regular Purchase APR: 14.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer APR: 14.99% to 29.99%
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Up to 5%
- Foreign Transaction Fee: Up to 3%
- You struggle to pay off your credit card balances
- You want to earn up to 3% cash back on purchases
- You can reliably pay off your statement balances to earn cash back for your purchases
- You have a desire to get debt-free quickly
- You don’t want to pay an annual fee
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® is another great option for financing medical care with a credit card. The card earns unlimited cash back on payments – 3% on Home, Auto, and Health categories and 1% on everything else – with no annual fee or hidden fees.
The robust health category includes services like health and beauty spas, gym memberships, fitness equipment, and purchases at eligible merchants. Those merchants include the likes of Walgreens, CVS, Academy Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, MidwayUSA.com, and more. The other bonus categories – Home and Auto – are equally robust, allowing cardholders to earn cash back for car parts, towing services, car washes, landscaping, hardware, home goods, and more.
Beyond lucrative cash back, all Upgrade credit cards feature is designed to help you pay off debt. These features include predictable, set payoffs that bring your balance down faster so you can pay less interest, credit limits up to $25,000, and exceptionally low APR for qualified borrowers.
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
- 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable) Regular Purchase APR
- 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable) Balance Transfer APR
- 29.99% (Variable) Cash Advance APR
- 0% for 15 months on Purchases Intro Purchase APR
At a Glance
The Citi Custom Cash? Card is a generous cash back credit card that offers up to 5% back on eligible purchases. The card, from Citi, does not charge an annual fee and rewards 5% back on the top spending category each month, with options including transit, travel, gas, groceries, dining, and more.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for - as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- No Annual Fee
- Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash℠ Card account per person.
- Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 15 months on Purchases
- Regular Purchase APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
- Balance Transfer APR: 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99% (Variable)
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: 5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum
- Penalty APR: Up to 29.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee: $0
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- You want to earn 5% back but do't want quarterly categories
- You plan on spending $1,500 within the first 90 days
- You have a large purchase in mind that you want to pay down over time
- You plan on transferring an existing balance within the first four months
- You don’t want to pay an annual fee
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
If your medical care consists of multiple prescriptions, a card like the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card might make sense. The card is a no annual fee rewards card that earns 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Those categories are robust and include “pharmacies,” with other categories including:
| Dining | Fitness clubs | Grocery stores |
| Drugstores | Gas stations | Home improvement stores |
| Travel & transit (select) | Live entertainment | Streaming service (select) |
The generosity of the Custom Cash continues with two lengthy 0% APR periods. New accounts enjoy 15 months of 0% intro APR – for both purchases and balance transfers – with a variable rate after that. Should you have a medical procedure or expensive prescriptions to cover, the Custom Cash can help you offset those payments and pay them down without interest for five quarters.
Other notable features of the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card include Mastercard protections, Citi Entertainment access, Citi Quick Lock, and more.
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