Maine / Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center

CMS certification 200033 · Bangor, ME · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center reported 2,706 Medicare inpatient stays across 91 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 4.41 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Maine, number 1 of 13 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.18×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 280, Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC: 201 stays at an average charge of $76,191, 0% below the national average. It also billed 3,704 outpatient services, charging 6.49 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 2,706
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 4.41×
3Rank in ME (highest ratio = 1) 1 of 13
4CMS price-transparency actions 4

Average charge per stay at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 91 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center charged more than the national average in 11 (12%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.

DRG	Stays	Avg charge	vs US	Avg paid
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	201	$76,191	0%	$13,979
871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC	166	$90,231	0%	$20,934
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	117	$64,551	+14%	$11,862
281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC	91	$44,001	-13%	$9,221
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	85	$36,887	+2%	$7,201
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	81	$89,908	-22%	$16,648
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	75	$99,478	-37%	$26,517
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	70	$64,452	+8%	$10,527
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	66	$78,759	+12%	$15,623
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	61	$159,608	-2%	$29,638
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	51	$48,148	-25%	$11,544
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	48	$65,259	-35%	$17,345
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	43	$73,075	-27%	$17,186
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	43	$132,170	-40%	$39,282
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	41	$47,094	-3%	$7,977
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	39	$166,036	-27%	$43,754
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	37	$35,457	-12%	$6,519
310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC	35	$27,393	-5%	$6,080
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	35	$44,107	-14%	$10,906
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	32	$45,587	-18%	$8,773
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	31	$60,032	+19%	$10,131
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	31	$82,595	-26%	$17,237
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	30	$51,618	-9%	$9,527
242 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with MCC	29	$156,689	-2%	$29,855
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	29	$66,198	-22%	$16,706
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	29	$66,708	-9%	$14,290
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	28	$60,709	-41%	$14,886
312 Syncope and Collapse	27	$34,934	-23%	$6,788
282 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive without CC/MCC	26	$34,811	-20%	$10,177
682 Renal Failure with MCC	26	$66,168	0%	$12,591
234 Coronary Bypass with Cardiac Catheterization or Open...	25	$193,013	-28%	$56,628
233 Coronary Bypass with Cardiac Catheterization or Open...	24	$262,811	-32%	$72,843
480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC	24	$100,401	-28%	$21,907
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	24	$46,718	-5%	$12,387
897 Alcohol, Drug Abuse or Dependence without Rehabilitation...	24	$35,661	-4%	$7,959
243 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with CC	23	$107,628	-3%	$19,717
253 Other Vascular Procedures with CC	23	$72,652	-45%	$20,594
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	23	$71,549	-40%	$17,381
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	22	$26,892	-30%	$6,534
208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96...	22	$122,253	-10%	$23,936
228 Other Cardiothoracic Procedures with MCC	22	$153,557	-39%	$36,844
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	22	$239,481	-16%	$54,948
314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC	22	$71,852	-24%	$23,526
313 Chest Pain	20	$32,751	-18%	$6,708
603 Cellulitis without MCC	20	$29,800	-20%	$9,312
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	19	$53,153	-13%	$9,939
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	19	$30,632	-19%	$6,690
236 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization without MCC	18	$149,973	-29%	$35,330
445 Disorders of The Biliary Tract with CC	18	$40,799	-30%	$8,663
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	18	$56,934	-6%	$10,252
164 Major Chest Procedures with CC	17	$88,147	-31%	$29,020
283 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Expired with MCC	17	$98,445	-4%	$19,071
432 Cirrhosis and Alcoholic Hepatitis with MCC	17	$86,616	-9%	$18,221
683 Renal Failure with CC	17	$37,393	-8%	$12,311
039 Extracranial Procedures without CC/MCC	16	$47,910	-25%	$9,317
101 Seizures without MCC	16	$32,662	-33%	$7,388
219 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures...	16	$250,043	-37%	$57,496
244 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant without CC/MCC	16	$94,057	+1%	$13,839
269 Aortic and Heart Assist Procedures except Pulsation Balloon...	16	$112,710	-41%	$30,685
638 Diabetes with CC	16	$59,756	+43%	$14,777

Showing the 60 most frequent of 91 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Level 2 Urology and Related Services	455	$1,800	$589
Comprehensive Observation Services	384	$14,589	$2,370
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	285	$20,474	$2,808
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	276	$9,156	$1,387
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	256	$7,084	$1,753
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	140	$10,981	$3,020
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	129	$25,999	$6,079
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	128	$15,213	$2,777
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	128	$9,935	$1,641
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	126	$117,668	$20,190
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	110	$15,248	$2,476
Level 1 Nerve Procedures	88	$8,141	$1,654
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	78	$26,114	$4,943
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	76	$13,292	$4,461
Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures	64	$20,823	$3,321
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	63	$67,853	$9,578
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	55	$67,062	$9,158
Level 2 Endovascular Procedures	52	$24,662	$4,980
Level 3 Lower GI Procedures	51	$12,215	$2,446
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	50	$16,877	$2,731
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	46	$50,433	$11,452
Level 2 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	45	$44,903	$7,402
Level 2 Vascular Procedures	43	$7,309	$1,395
Level 6 Musculoskeletal Procedures	41	$73,048	$16,202
Level 2 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures	39	$30,493	$5,681

Against the Maine average

For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC (DRG 280), Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center charged $76,191 on average, 32% more than the Maine average of $57,813, and was paid $13,979 against a state average of $14,785. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center charged $90,231 on average, 56% more than the Maine average of $57,965, and was paid $20,934 against a state average of $19,002. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center charged $64,551 on average, 60% more than the Maine average of $40,287, and was paid $11,862 against a state average of $11,946. For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC (DRG 281), Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center charged $44,001 on average, 31% more than the Maine average of $33,596, and was paid $9,221 against a state average of $8,892. For Level 2 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5372), its average charge of $1,800 was 28% above the state average of $1,404. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $14,589 was 10% above the state average of $13,250. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $20,474 was 26% above the state average of $16,214. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $9,156 was 19% above the state average of $7,697.

Price-transparency record

CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, ME, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:

Warning Notice — 2021-09-29 (CMS case 797)
CAP Request — 2022-06-29 (CMS case 797)
Closure Notice — 2022-09-01 (CMS case 797)
Met Requirements — 2025-04-10 (CMS case 3733)

A warning notice or corrective-action request is not a finding of wrongdoing; "Met Requirements" and closure notices record that CMS's review ended. Matched to this hospital by exact name, city and state.

Charges are the hospital's list prices averaged over its 2024 Medicare cases; payments are what those cases actually brought in. Neither is what you will pay. For a planned procedure, ask the hospital for its price estimate or, if you are uninsured or self-paying, a good-faith estimate.

Sources: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Medicare Outpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Activities and Outcomes, July 2026. Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.