Observation/inpatient hospital care low severity 99234 at Stephens Memorial Hospital

181 Main St, Norway, ME · MaineHealth · · NPI 1346299815

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Sep 9, 2025 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$425.05

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$425.05

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$96.33 with Aetna vs $266.13 with Anthem — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
Aetna MHACO Government $96.33 ↓ -77%
Anthem Medicare Advantage $96.33 ↓ -77%
Humana Medicare Advantage $110.78 ↓ -74%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $110.78 ↓ -74%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $110.78 ↓ -74%
Wellcare Medicare Advantage $115.21 ↓ -73%
Aetna HMO/PPO $169.67 ↓ -60%
Multiplan Commercial $175.64 ↓ -59%
United Healthcare Commercial $184.88 ↓ -57%
Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Commercial $186.31 ↓ -56%
Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Maine's Choice $186.31 ↓ -56%
Aetna MHACO Commercial $192.13 ↓ -55%
Community Health Options Commercial $196.55 ↓ -54%
Cigna Commercial $212.53 ↓ -50%
Anthem HMO/POS/PPO Pathway Enhanced $266.13 ↓ -37%

Visitor-reported prices

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Observation/inpatient hospital care low severity 99234 at other Maine hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Franklin Memorial Hospital Farmington $212.60 $96.33 – $196.55
Lincoln Health Damariscotta $295.30 $96.33 – $196.55
Pen Bay Medical Center Rockport $383.30 $93.23 – $196.55
Waldo County General Hospital Belfast $337.40 $96.33 – $196.55
Mid Coast Hospital Brunswick $346.60 $92.31 – $196.55
Spring Harbor Hospital Westbrook not published $92.31 – $252.74

All Maine hospitals for this procedure →