Level 1 ER visit cost in Portland, ME — inpatient
In Portland-South Portland, ME, 5 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 1 of 5, minor problem that may not need a doctor as an inpatient: from $30.42 to $131.35, with a median of $54.95. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital — $24.53 less than the median here. Across Maine, the median is $73.44 at 21 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 4 cities for code 99281, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 9, 2025 and Sep 9, 2025.
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 PF ER VISIT LIMITED/LEVEL 1 | $30.42 | $117.00 | $76.05–$87.28 | 74% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital lowest Portland, ME PF EMERG DEPT VISIT LIMITED | $30.42 | $117.00 | $76.05–$87.28 | 74% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 *ER PROV MIINIUM LEVEL NOT REQD MD/QHP | $37.20 | $62.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 EMERGENCY ROOM CARE LEVEL I | $48.00 | $80.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| MaineHealth Brunswick, ME · (207) 729-0181 PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT MAY NOT REQ PHYS/QHP | $54.95 | $54.95 | $10.69–$28.88 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Biddeford, ME PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT MAY NOT REQ PHYS/QHP | $96.55 | $96.55 | $10.69–$48.28 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 *ER MINIMUM LEVEL NOT REQ MD/QHP | $102.60 | $171.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 *ER LEVEL I MINIMAL NOT REQ MD /QHP | $102.60 | $171.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Portland, ME ER LEVEL 1 | $103.22 | $397.00 | $258.05–$296.16 | 74% | — source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME · (207) 662-0111 PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT MAY NOT REQ PHYS/QHP - AMBULATORY RATE | $131.35 | $131.35 | $10.69–$65.68 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME · (207) 662-0111 PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT MAY NOT REQ PHYS/QHP | $146.90 | $146.90 | $10.69–$73.45 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Brunswick, ME · (207) 729-0181 HC EMERGENCY FACILITY LEV 1 | $214.05 | $214.05 | $151.12–$202.06 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Biddeford, ME HC EMERGENCY FACILITY LEV 1 | $284.15 | $284.15 | $209.02–$267.10 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME · (207) 662-0111 HC EMERGENCY FACILITY LEV 1 | $342.00 | $342.00 | $251.58–$321.48 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $30.42, median $54.95, highest $131.35 — a 4.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $75.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 4 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 is the lowest of five emergency department visit levels, used for a minor problem that needs little care. Since 2023 this level may apply even when no physician or similar clinician needs to see the patient. The level is assigned after the visit: doctors pick it by the complexity of their medical decision making, and hospitals pick the facility level by the care and resources used, so a patient cannot choose it in advance.
What the price covers
The hospital price for this code is the facility fee for the ER visit. The emergency physician bills separately, and lab tests, imaging, medicines and procedures are added on top.