C. diff test cost in Maine
In Maine, 28 hospitals publish a cash price for C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR): from $32.13 to $302.15, with a median of $108.24. The lowest price is at Northern Light AR Gould Hospital (Presque Isle). The highest price is 9.4× the lowest.
- The median here, $108.24, is 21% below the US median of $136.77.
- That is 2.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($37.27).
- Maine ranks 13th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 8 of 28 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 87493. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 11, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$32.13Northern Light AR Gould Hospital
Median$108.24half of hospitals charge less
Highest$302.15in Maine
Lowest saves$76.11vs the median
Hospitals in Maine, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Light AR Gould Hospital lowest Presque Isle · Presque Isle, ME C DIFFICILE AMPLIFIED PROBE | $32.13 | $153.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital Ellsworth · Ellsworth, ME Clostridium difficile Testing Molecular | $33.25 | $133.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Northern Light Mercy Hospital Portland · Portland-South Portland, ME C DIFF AMPLIFIED PROBE | $34.84 | $134.00 | Apr 15, 2026 source file |
| Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center Bangor · Bangor, ME C-DIFFIICILE AMPLIFIED PROBE | $36.12 | $172.00 | Feb 3, 2026 source file |
| Central Maine Medical Center Lewiston · Lewiston-Auburn, ME HC CYTOMED, DNA, AMP PROBE | $37.00 | $244.69 | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Northern Light Mayo Hospital Dover Foxcroft · Dover Foxcroft, ME Clostridium difficile Testing by PCR ALI | $58.41 | $177.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital Pittsfield · Pittsfield, ME C-DIFFIICILE AMPLIFIED PROBE | $60.18 | $177.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Blue Hill Memorial Hospital Blue Hill · Blue Hill, ME CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE TESTING | $65.49 | $177.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| Rumford Hospital Rumford · Rumford, ME HC CYTOMED, DNA, AMP PROBE | $70.00 | $244.69 | Apr 29, 2026 source file |
| Bridgton Hospital Bridgton · Portland-South Portland, ME HC CYTOMED, DNA, AMP PROBE | $75.00 | $244.69 | Apr 29, 2026 source file |
| York Hospital York · Portland-South Portland, ME C. DIFFICILE DNA AMPLIFIED PROBE BY PCR | $88.20 | $147.00 | Jul 4, 2026 source file |
| Northern Light CA Dean Hospital Greenville · Greenville, ME C-DIFFIICILE AMPLIFIED PROBE | $88.50 | $177.00 | Mar 30, 2026 source file |
| St Mary's Regional Medical Center Lewiston · Lewiston-Auburn, ME HC CLOST DIFFTOXIN GENEAMP PRBE | $95.00 | $250.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Penobscot Valley Hospital Lincoln · Bangor, ME C Difficile Toxin PCR (Ag Confirm) ALI* | $102.47 | $128.09 | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Houlton Regional Hospital Houlton · Houlton, ME C DIFF PCR | $114.00 | $120.00 | Mar 25, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital Bangor · Bangor, ME HC CLOST DIFFTOXIN GENEAMP PRBE | $135.66 | $266.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Calais Community Hospital Calais · Calais, ME .Clostridium Difficile Toxin B, Qlt Pcr | $137.00 | $183.00 | — source file |
| MaineHealth Franklin Hospital Farmington · Farmington, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $140.60 | $140.60 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| MaineHealth Westbrook · Portland-South Portland, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $142.70 | $142.70 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Biddeford Biddeford · Portland-South Portland, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $156.30 | $156.30 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital Brunswick · Portland-South Portland, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $156.45 | $156.45 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Down East Community Hospital Machias · Machias, ME Clostridium Difficile (Genexpert) | $173.00 | $230.00 | — source file |
| Millinocket Regional Hospital Millinocket · Bangor, ME C. DIFFICILE, TOXIN B, BY PCR | $178.20 | $198.00 | May 26, 2026 source file |
| Redington-Fairview General Hospital Skowhegan · Skowhegan, ME C.DIF TOX DNA BY PCR | $180.75 | $261.00 | Jul 23, 2026 source file |
| MaineHealth Waldo Hospital Belfast · Belfast, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $229.50 | $229.50 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital Rockport · Rockport, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $254.75 | $254.75 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| MaineHealth Stephens Hospital Norway · Norway, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $293.50 | $293.50 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| LincolnHealth Damariscotta · Damariscotta, ME B* HC INF AGENT DET NUCLEIC ACID CLOSTRIDIUM AMP PROBE | $302.15 | $302.15 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 6 | $34.84 | $115.45 |
| Bangor, ME | 4 | $36.12 | $119.06 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 2 | $37.00 | $66.00 |
| Belfast, ME | 1 | $229.50 | $229.50 |
| Blue Hill, ME | 1 | $65.49 | $65.49 |
| Calais, ME | 1 | $137.00 | $137.00 |
| Damariscotta, ME | 1 | $302.15 | $302.15 |
| Dover Foxcroft, ME | 1 | $58.41 | $58.41 |
| Ellsworth, ME | 1 | $33.25 | $33.25 |
| Farmington, ME | 1 | $140.60 | $140.60 |
| Greenville, ME | 1 | $88.50 | $88.50 |
| Houlton, ME | 1 | $114.00 | $114.00 |
| Machias, ME | 1 | $173.00 | $173.00 |
| Norway, ME | 1 | $293.50 | $293.50 |
| Pittsfield, ME | 1 | $60.18 | $60.18 |
| Presque Isle, ME | 1 | $32.13 | $32.13 |
| Rockport, ME | 1 | $254.75 | $254.75 |
| Rumford, ME | 1 | $70.00 | $70.00 |
| Skowhegan, ME | 1 | $180.75 | $180.75 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What C. diff test is, what the price covers and why prices differ: C. diff test explained.
C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR) in other states
- Alabama$98.00
- Alaska$234.00
- Arizona$72.90
- Arkansas$88.90
- California$152.88
- Colorado$293.42
- Connecticut$146.48
- Delaware$409.92
- District of Columbia$210.35, 3 hospitals
- Florida$113.60
- Georgia$88.35
- Hawaii$299.65
- Idaho$166.00
- Illinois$185.40
- Indiana$133.00
- Iowa$116.46
- Kansas$111.85
- Kentucky$99.80
- Louisiana$74.72
- Maryland$327.75
- Massachusetts$169.81
- Michigan$116.00
- Minnesota$139.42
- Mississippi$56.30
- Missouri$152.01
- Montana$168.51
- Nebraska$166.18
- Nevada$92.53
- New Hampshire$208.32
- New Jersey$42.86
- New Mexico$149.60
- New York$126.45
- North Carolina$125.61
- North Dakota$192.00
- Ohio$130.40
- Oklahoma$90.91
- Oregon$156.71
- Pennsylvania$207.60
- Puerto Rico$1,003.00, 1 hospital
- Rhode Island$104.40
- South Carolina$193.50
- South Dakota$208.00
- Tennessee$89.61
- Texas$175.50
- Utah$160.40
- Vermont$233.99
- Virginia$126.09
- Washington$180.75
- West Virginia$113.60
- Wisconsin$151.80
- Wyoming$155.25
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.