Medical costs can be overwhelming. Now there's a new way to get discounts, even cash, to cover them. So what's the secret? And, is it right for you?

From prescription drug prices...to insurance premiums…to co-pays: The cost of medical care can be a tough pill to swallow!

Judy Halpuka is a consumer. She complains, "The medicines are very expensive nowadays."

Ulises Marino adds, "I spend a couple thousand dollars a year."

But now, you may actually save money depending on how you pay for your health care.

Gerri Detweiler works for 'credit.com'. She says, "A growing number of credit cards are offering discounts and rewards to help defray the costs of medical expenses."

Curtis Arnold works for 'cardratings.com'. He says with these new cards you can earn everything from money to cover health expenses, to discounts on medicine. "We think this is an emerging trend in the credit card rewards market," Arnold explains.

Use the Citi Professional Card and get 10-60% off prescription drugs at more than 50,000 pharmacies. For an additional monthly charge, the card also extends to dental and vision care. The store-branded Target card can lead to savings too.

"If you get ten prescriptions filled at the target pharmacy and you pay for them with your card, then you will get a coupon for a ten percent off shopping day at Target," Detweiler says.

Some cards are tied directly to insurance and prescription drug plans. Bank of America now offers plastic for Aetna and Caremark customers. Use them for certain health care expenses, and you can rack up double, sometimes even triple points.

"You can redeem your points for health-related merchandise. An example would be fitness equipment," Arnold says.

It can also work for heart rate monitors and scales. And with the Aetna card, you can also earn cash that will be deposited into a health savings account.

"If you pay your bills on time, these health care cards can be a great bonus," Detweiler explains.

But pay late…and Detweiler warn the costs could outweigh all the benefits: "With any rewards card, typically you're going to find, that if you don't pay your bill in full, you're going to pay more in interest than you would just by going for a low rate credit card."

Still, the option of taking charge of their health care expenses is enticing to some...like consumers Sandra Aguirre and Javier Sotomayo.

"It would be something to look into," Aguirre says.

"It's definitely worth it. Why not take advantage of it," Sotomayo agrees.

Experts say if you know you won't be able to pay for a health care expense in full, try not to put it on plastic. You can often negotiate a payment plan with a doctor or hospital with little or no interest.