Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Bangor, ME — inpatient
In Bangor, ME, 3 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $14.70 to $50.88, with a median of $45.90. The lowest listed price is at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center — $31.20 less than the median here. Across Maine, the median is $69.00 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 3, 2026 and May 26, 2026.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center lowest Bangor, ME · (207) 973-7000 GENITAL CULTURE+1 more line at this price File of Feb 3, 2026 · source file | $14.70 | $70.00 | $45.50–$52.22 | 79% |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 CULTURE STREP B - OBS File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $45.90 | $51.00 | $21.99–$51.00 | 10% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Urogenital Marlboro TC 4558X File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $50.88 | $63.60 | $8.45–$61.06 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Legionella Culture & GS C LEGION ALI_ File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $63.69 | $79.61 | $8.45–$76.43 | 20% |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 CULTURE NASOPHARYNGEAL File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $65.70 | $73.00 | $31.48–$70.02 | 10% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture MRSA Nares ALI File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $67.27 | $84.09 | $8.45–$80.73 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 ?ENITAL CULTURE 103523E QUEST File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $68.10 | $85.12 | $8.45–$81.72 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Nose File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $72.76 | $90.95 | $8.45–$87.31 | 20% |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 CULTURE SPUTUM W/GRM STN+2 more lines at this price File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $72.90 | $81.00 | $34.93–$75.01 | 10% |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 CULTURE - CATHETER TIP+1 more line at this price File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $77.40 | $86.00 | $37.08–$79.64 | 10% |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 TISSUE CULTURE - MICROBIOLOGY+1 more line at this price File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $78.30 | $87.00 | $37.51–$80.56 | 10% |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 CULTURE EAR+1 more line at this price File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $81.90 | $91.00 | $39.24–$84.27 | 10% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Urethral+1 more line at this price File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $82.43 | $103.04 | $8.45–$98.92 | 20% |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket, ME · (207) 723-5161 CULTURE BODY FLUID INCL GRAM S File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $84.60 | $94.00 | $40.53–$87.04 | 10% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Eye File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $87.41 | $109.26 | $8.45–$104.89 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Pleural Fluid+4 more lines at this price File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $88.24 | $110.30 | $8.45–$105.89 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Sputum File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $88.31 | $110.39 | $8.45–$105.97 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 _190571-2 File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $90.32 | $112.90 | $8.45–$108.38 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Throat File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $95.19 | $118.99 | $8.45–$114.23 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 _190575-2 File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $98.96 | $123.70 | $8.45–$118.75 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Ear File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $107.10 | $133.88 | $8.45–$128.52 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Cervical File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $107.62 | $134.53 | $8.45–$129.15 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Peritoneal Fluid+1 more line at this price File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $107.76 | $134.70 | $8.45–$129.31 | 20% |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln, ME · (207) 794-3321 Culture Synovial Fluid File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $108.46 | $135.57 | $8.45–$130.15 | 20% |
Inpatient: lowest $14.70, median $45.90, highest $50.88 — a 3.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $45.90 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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
A bacterial culture grows bacteria from a sample such as a wound, throat swab, eye or fluid to find which germ causes an infection. It takes one to three days.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test; collecting the sample may be billed separately.