MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Maine

Prices at 27 hospitals in Maine, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,326 — 5% above the US median ($2,211), roughly 8.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Mount Desert Island Hospital Bar Harbor, ME $436 $345 130 min 14.6%
St Joseph Hospital Bangor, ME $465 $364 ★ 3/5 188 min 15.6%
Rumford Hospital Rumford, ME $773 $1,725 106 min 15.0%
Bridgton Hospital Bridgton, ME $827 $1,906 ★ 3/5 118 min 15.3%
Down East Community Hospital Machias, ME $1,269 $972 ★ 4/5 189 min 14.7%
York Hospital York, ME $1,937 ★ 4/5 172 min 14.8%
Calais Community Hospital Calais, ME $2,225 $2,141 160 min 15.0%
Houlton Regional Hospital Houlton, ME $2,326 $563 ★ 3/5 192 min 14.1%
Lincolnhealth Damariscotta, ME $3,137 $386 ★ 3/5 137 min 14.4%
Mainehealth Franklin Hospital Farmington, ME $3,137 $386 ★ 3/5 168 min 15.1%
Mainehealth Maine Medical Center Portland, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 4/5 218 min 14.2%
Mainehealth Mid Coast Hospital Brunswick, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 3/5 198 min 15.5%
Mainehealth Pen Bay Hospital Rockport, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 3/5 170 min 15.3%
Mainehealth Waldo Hospital Belfast, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 3/5 146 min 15.0%
Mainehealth Stephens Hospital Norway, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 4/5 122 min 15.0%
Mainehealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor Westbrook, ME $4,714 $434

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$3,137
Cash / self-pay
$2,326
Insurer-negotiated
$375
Medicare pays
$270
$453$4,714
Median cash $2,326  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,326 — about 8.6× the Medicare rate ($270). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,137 list price could save about $811 (26%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

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MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in other states

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Maine →