Lumbar spine CT cost in Bangor, ME — inpatient
In Bangor, ME, 2 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast as an inpatient: from $1,251.00 to $1,639.70, with a median of $1,445.35. The lowest listed price is at Millinocket Regional Hospital — $194.35 less than the median here. Across Maine, the median is $1,267.40 at 15 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 72131, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Bangor, ME.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millinocket Regional Hospital lowest Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,251.00 | $1,390.00 | $599.37–$1,287.14 | 10% | — source file |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 CT SCAN LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,639.70 | $2,049.63 | $119.03–$1,967.64 | 20% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,251.00, median $1,445.35, highest $1,639.70 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,445.35 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This CT scan shows the bones of the lower back in detail. It is used after injuries and when an MRI is not possible.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the scan. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.