diff --git a/litellm/realtime_api/main.py b/litellm/realtime_api/main.py
index f94ba4c4a02..d67e4555a29 100644
--- a/litellm/realtime_api/main.py
+++ b/litellm/realtime_api/main.py
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ xai_realtime: Final = XAIRealtime()
 vertex_llm_base: Final = VertexBase()
 base_llm_http_handler = BaseLLMHTTPHandler()
 _EMPTY_MODEL_PARAMS: Final[Mapping[str, Any]] = MappingProxyType({})
+_EMPTY_AUTH_HEADERS: Final[Mapping[str, str]] = MappingProxyType({})
 
 
 def _model_params_with_stored_credentials(model_params: Mapping[str, Any]) -> Mapping[str, Any]:
@@ -602,13 +603,15 @@ def _azure_realtime_health_protocol(
 
 def _realtime_health_check_auth_headers(
     custom_llm_provider: str, api_key: str | None, model_params: Mapping[str, Any]
-) -> Mapping[str, str | None]:
-    if custom_llm_provider != "azure":
-        return MappingProxyType({"api-key": api_key})
-    return azure_realtime.get_auth_headers(
-        api_key=api_key,
-        azure_ad_token=(None if api_key else get_azure_ad_token(GenericLiteLLMParams(**model_params))),
-    )
+) -> Mapping[str, str]:
+    if custom_llm_provider == "azure":
+        return azure_realtime.get_auth_headers(
+            api_key=api_key,
+            azure_ad_token=(None if api_key else get_azure_ad_token(GenericLiteLLMParams(**model_params))),
+        )
+    if api_key is None:
+        return _EMPTY_AUTH_HEADERS
+    return MappingProxyType({"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"})
 
 
 async def _realtime_health_check(
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/realtime_api/test_main.py b/tests/test_litellm/realtime_api/test_main.py
index dcd4c01730d..643e65af47c 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/realtime_api/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/realtime_api/test_main.py
@@ -276,6 +276,40 @@ async def test_azure_health_check_resolves_stored_credentials(monkeypatch):
     assert "api-version=2025-04-01-preview" in connect.url
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("custom_llm_provider", "model", "expected_url"),
+    [
+        ("xai", "grok-voice-latest", "wss://api.x.ai/v1/realtime?model=grok-voice-latest"),
+        ("openai", "gpt-realtime", "wss://api.openai.com/v1/realtime?model=gpt-realtime"),
+    ],
+)
+async def test_bearer_health_check_sends_stored_credential_as_bearer_token(
+    monkeypatch, custom_llm_provider: str, model: str, expected_url: str
+):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        litellm,
+        "credential_list",
+        [
+            CredentialItem(
+                credential_name="voice-key",
+                credential_values={"api_key": "sk-from-credential"},
+                credential_info={},
+            )
+        ],
+    )
+    connect = _CapturingConnect()
+    with patch("websockets.connect", connect):
+        assert await realtime_main._realtime_health_check(
+            model=model,
+            custom_llm_provider=custom_llm_provider,
+            api_key=None,
+            model_params={"model": f"{custom_llm_provider}/{model}", "litellm_credential_name": "voice-key"},
+        )
+    assert connect.kwargs["additional_headers"] == {"Authorization": "Bearer sk-from-credential"}
+    assert connect.url == expected_url
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_azure_health_check_probes_ga_transcription_url_for_transcription_model(local_model_cost_map):
     """Regression for LIT-6240: transcription-only models (mode audio_transcription