Critical care (first hour) cost in Portland, ME — inpatient
In Portland-South Portland, ME, 5 hospitals list a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes as an inpatient: from $334.62 to $5,173.40, with a median of $1,479.90. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital — $1,145.28 less than the median here. Across Maine, the median is $675.50 at 21 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 4 cities for code 99291, 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 CRITICAL CARE FIRST HOUR | $334.62 | $1,287.00 | $836.55–$960.10 | 74% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital lowest Portland, ME CRITICAL CARE 1ST HOUR | $334.62 | $1,287.00 | $836.55–$960.10 | 74% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital lowest Portland, ME CRITICAL CARE FIRST HOUR | $334.62 | $1,287.00 | $836.55–$960.10 | 74% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 CRITICAL CARE 1ST HOUR | $377.40 | $629.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 *Wells DR Critical 30-74" | $420.60 | $701.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 ICU VISIT FIRST HOUR | $447.60 | $746.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 *Wells Er Critical 30-74" | $1,138.80 | $1,898.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| York Hospital York, ME · (207) 351-2478 Crit. Care 30-74" - 99291 | $1,138.80 | $1,898.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Portland, ME CRITICAL CARE, 1ST HOUR | $1,206.40 | $4,640.00 | $3,016.00–$3,461.44 | 74% | — source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME · (207) 662-0111 PR CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $1,479.90 | $1,479.90 | $201.38–$525.53 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Biddeford, ME PR CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $1,612.30 | $1,612.30 | $201.38–$525.53 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Biddeford, ME HC CRITICAL CARE 30-74 MIN | $2,829.00 | $2,829.00 | $2,081.01–$2,659.26 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME · (207) 662-0111 HC CRITICAL CARE 30-74 MIN | $4,670.40 | $4,670.40 | $3,435.55–$4,390.18 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Brunswick, ME · (207) 729-0181 HC CRITICAL CARE 30-74 MIN | $5,173.40 | $5,173.40 | $3,652.42–$4,883.69 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $334.62, median $1,479.90, highest $5,173.40 — a 15.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $1,546.10 — 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 code bills care for a life-threatening illness or injury for the first 30 to 74 minutes. It appears on emergency department bills after serious cases and in intensive care.
What the price covers
The price is the hospital's charge. Additional half hours use 99292, and the doctor bills separately.