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 ($2,210), roughly 8.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Mount Desert Island Hospital Bar Harbor, ME $436 $345 — 130 min —
St Joseph Hospital Bangor, ME $465 $364 ★ 3/5 186 min —
Rumford Hospital Rumford, ME $773 $1,725 — 104 min —
Bridgton Hospital Bridgton, ME $827 $1,906 ★ 3/5 118 min —
Down East Community Hospital Machias, ME $1,269 $972 ★ 4/5 195 min —
York Hospital York, ME $1,937 — ★ 4/5 166 min —
Calais Community Hospital Calais, ME $2,225 $2,141 — 154 min —
Houlton Regional Hospital Houlton, ME $2,326 $563 ★ 3/5 194 min —
Lincolnhealth Damariscotta, ME $3,137 $386 ★ 3/5 144 min —
Mainehealth Franklin Hospital Farmington, ME $3,137 $386 ★ 3/5 170 min —
Mainehealth Maine Medical Center Portland, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 4/5 207 min —
Mainehealth Mid Coast Hospital Brunswick, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 3/5 196 min —
Mainehealth Pen Bay Hospital Rockport, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 3/5 158 min —
Mainehealth Waldo Hospital Belfast, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 3/5 152 min —
Mainehealth Stephens Hospital Norway, ME $4,714 $434 ★ 4/5 125 min —
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 October 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%).

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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 →