MRI, brain (with and without contrast)
Facility: Penobscot Valley Hospital
Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)
This hospital's typical commercial price is $1,888 compared to the $759 fair price benchmark.
Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.
Highest price of the 9 ME hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 ME hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.
A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $759 (about 2.1× the $356 Medicare rate). Penobscot Valley Hospital charges insurers about $1,888, or about $3,198 in cash — well above the fair price. Located in Lincoln, ME.
This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less
Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $759. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.
What each insurance company pays
Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.
5 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital
Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.
| Insurance company | Price range | vs. Medicare |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcaremajor | $1,841 - $3,198 | 517% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $1,897 - $2,963 | 532% |
| Aetnamajor | $1,879 - $3,838 | 527% |
| Cignamajor | $3,758 | 1054% |
| Humanamajor | $1,860 | 522% |
| Harvard Pilgrim | $3,818 | 1071% |
| WellCare | $1,860 | 522% |
Self-Pay How to get the cash price
Insurance Before you use insurance
Estimate your out-of-pocket cost
A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.
Other Procedures at Penobscot Valley Hospital
Compare: MRI, brain (with and without contrast) at other ME hospitals
- Northern Light Mayo Hospital · Dover Foxcroft $193
- Northern Light Acadia Hospital · Bangor $193
- Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital · Pittsfield $195
- Northern Light Blue Hill Memorial Hospital · Blue Hill $196
- Northern Light C A Dean Hospital · Greenville $196
- Northern Maine Medical Center · Fort Kent $262
- Mainehealth Maine Medical Center · Portland $320
- Mainehealth Mid Coast Hospital · Brunswick $320
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.
Audit a Bill or Quote at Penobscot Valley Hospital (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $1,451
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $1,451).
Self-Pay Cash Rate ($3,198) Beats Your Bill
Penobscot Valley Hospital's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $3,198 (vs. $1,888 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.
Negotiate Toward $759 Fair BaseRate ($356 Medicare)
Your bill ($3,998) is $3,239 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($759) and 11.2× the $356 Medicare rate.
How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings
Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings
Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.