C. diff test cost in Portland, ME
In Portland-South Portland, ME, 6 hospitals list a cash price for C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR): from $34.84 to $362.70, with a median of $115.40. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital — $80.56 less than the median here. Across Maine, the median is $81.60 at 22 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 87493, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 9, 2025 and Apr 29, 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 Portland-South Portland, ME.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital lowest Portland, ME C DIFF AMPLIFIED PROBE | $34.84 | $134.00 | $71.56–$102.11 | 74% | — source file |
| Bridgton Hospital Bridgton, ME · (207) 647-6000 HC CYTOMED, DNA, AMP PROBE | $75.00 | $244.69 | $37.27–$244.69 | 69% | Apr 29, 2026 source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 C. DIFFICILE DNA AMPLIFIED PROBE BY PCR | $88.20 | $147.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 C DIFF TOXIN GENE | $138.60 | $231.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| MaineHealth Brunswick, ME · (207) 729-0181 HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $142.60 | $142.60 | $37.27–$134.61 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Biddeford, ME HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $149.55 | $149.55 | $37.27–$140.58 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME · (207) 662-0111 B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $362.70 | $362.70 | $37.27–$340.94 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $34.84, median $115.40, highest $362.70 — a 10.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $142.60. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 5 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
This stool test looks for the toxin gene of Clostridioides difficile, a cause of severe diarrhea, often after antibiotics or a hospital stay.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the stool test; the collection kit is often included.