The UAB Medical Score charge is a hard inquiry from University of Alabama at Birmingham's credit review process, not a debt or service you owe
When you see "UAB Medical Score" on your credit card statement, it means UAB's financial department ran a credit check on you — usually because you applied for a payment plan, financial aid, or were referred for collection review. The charge itself is not real money leaving your account. What you are seeing is a hard inquiry, a record that stays on your credit report for two years and can lower your credit score by a few points.
The confusion happens because the line item looks like a charge, but it is a marker that UAB looked at your credit. If you did not authorize this check, or if you do not recognize why UAB pulled your credit, that is the real problem to solve — not the "charge" itself, which will not actually debit your card.
Key Takeaways
- A UAB Medical Score inquiry is a credit check, not a payment or debt — it will not withdraw money from your account.
- Hard inquiries lower your credit score slightly and stay on your report for two years, so you should know why UAB ran one.
- If you did not explore for a payment plan or financial aid at UAB, contact their patient financial services to ask why the inquiry happened.
- Multiple hard inquiries in a short time can add up, so dispute any unauthorized checks with the credit bureaus if needed.
Why UAB runs a credit check and when it shows up
University of Alabama at Birmingham's patient financial services department pulls credit reports in a few specific situations. The most common is when you ask about a payment plan for medical bills — UAB uses your credit history to decide whether to offer a plan and what terms to give you. They may also check your credit if you are being reviewed for financial hardship programs, if your account is referred to collections, or if you are explore for their in-house financing option.
The inquiry appears on your credit report within days, but the timing of when you see it on your statement depends on your credit card company's reporting cycle. You might see it listed as a pending charge that never actually posts, or it might show as a line item that disappears after a few days. Either way, the credit bureaus have already recorded it.
How a hard inquiry affects your credit score
A single hard inquiry typically lowers your credit score by 5 to 10 points, though the exact impact varies by scoring model and your overall credit profile. The damage is small and temporary — the inquiry stops affecting your score after about three months, though it remains visible on your report for two years.
The real risk is multiple inquiries in a short time. If you are shopping for a car loan, a mortgage, and a credit card in the same month, each lender pulls your credit, and those inquiries stack up. Medical credit checks count the same way. If you have several hard inquiries within 45 days, they may be treated as a single inquiry for scoring purposes, but if they are spread out, each one counts separately.
What to do if you do not recognize the inquiry
Start by checking whether you actually contacted UAB about a payment plan or financial aid. Look back at your recent bills, emails, or phone calls. If you called to ask about payment options or spoke to a financial counselor, that conversation likely triggered the check — even if you did not formally explore for anything.
If you are certain you did not contact UAB and did not authorize a credit check, contact UAB's patient financial services department directly. Ask them to explain why the inquiry was run and under what authorization. Get the name of the person you speak with and the date of the call. If they cannot justify it, ask them to request that the inquiry be removed from your credit report — this is called a goodwill removal, and some hospitals will do it if the check was truly unauthorized.
If UAB refuses or if you believe the inquiry was fraudulent, you can dispute it with the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. File a dispute online through each bureau's website or by mail. Include a copy of your statement showing the inquiry and a brief explanation of why you believe it was unauthorized. The bureau has 30 days to investigate and respond.
The difference between a hard inquiry and an actual bill
This is the most important distinction: a hard inquiry is not a bill. It will not cause your credit card to be charged, and it will not show up as a debt you owe. What it does is create a record that UAB looked at your credit, and that record affects your credit score.
If you actually owe UAB money for medical services, that is a separate issue — you will receive a bill or a statement from them, not just a credit inquiry. If you see the UAB Medical Score line item and nothing else from UAB, you likely do not owe them money. The inquiry itself is the only thing that happened.
Removing or disputing the inquiry
You cannot straightforward remove a hard inquiry from your credit report unless it was unauthorized or inaccurate. If the inquiry is legitimate — meaning you did contact UAB about a payment plan or financial aid — it will stay on your report for two years, and that is normal.
If you believe the inquiry was unauthorized, the dispute process with the credit bureaus is your best option. You can also ask UAB directly to request removal as a goodwill gesture, especially if you have a good payment history with them or if the inquiry was a mistake on their end. Some hospitals will do this, though they are not required to.
Do not pay anyone to remove the inquiry or promise to pay a service to "fix" your credit. Legitimate credit repair is free — you can dispute inquiries yourself with the bureaus at no cost.
How to avoid unexpected credit inquiries in the future
Before you contact a hospital or medical provider about payment options, ask whether they will pull your credit. Many will tell you upfront. If you are not ready for a hard inquiry, you can ask about other options first — some hospitals offer payment plans without a credit check, or they may let you pay in cash or set up a manual payment arrangement.
Keep a record of any calls or conversations you have with medical providers about billing. Write down the date, the person's name, and what was discussed. This protects you if a credit inquiry appears later and you need to dispute it or explain it to another lender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the UAB Medical Score charge actually take money from my credit card?
No. A hard inquiry is a record on your credit report, not a charge. Your credit card will not be debited. You may see it listed as a pending item that disappears after a few days, but no money will leave your account.
How long does the inquiry stay on my credit report?
Hard inquiries remain visible on your credit report for two years. However, they stop affecting your credit score after about three months. After that time, they are still there if a lender looks, but they do not lower your score anymore.
Can I remove the inquiry if I did not authorize it?
You can dispute it with the credit bureaus if you believe it was unauthorized. File a dispute with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through their websites or by mail. You can also ask UAB directly to request removal as a goodwill gesture, though they are not required to grant it.
Does one hard inquiry really hurt my credit score?
A single inquiry typically lowers your score by 5 to 10 points, which is minor. The damage is temporary and fades over time. Multiple inquiries in a short period are more damaging, so if you see several unexpected inquiries, that is worth investigating.
What should I do if I owe UAB money and see this inquiry?
The inquiry and any debt you owe are separate issues. The inquiry is just a record that UAB checked your credit. If you owe money, you will receive a bill or statement from them. Contact UAB's patient financial services to discuss your actual bill and payment options.