US Health Care Costs

Lower back nerve ablation (radiofrequency)

CPT 64635 · Surgery · hospital facility charge

At the 164 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $3,007, and most charge between $1,600 and $8,690 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$3,007typical cash price
$4,059typical commercial insurer rate
$5,819typical list price
164hospitals in 34 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWAID$11kMTNDMN$1.0kIL$3.8kMI$2.7kNY$7.8kMA$4.1kORNVWYSD$3.1kIA$1.6kIN$1.6kOH$7.5kPA$2.3kNJ$2.6kCTRICA$2.5kUT$3.9kCO$3.1kNE$2.1kMO$2.8kKY$7.8kWVVA$2.7kMDDE$3.0kAZNMKSARTN$9.1kNC$3.1kSC$7.4kDCOK$2.4kLAMS$1.7kALGA$2.6kHITX$6.1kFL$3.0kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1––––
Arizona1–––$3,056
California15$2,537$1,455$5,156$4,434
Colorado1$3,081$3,081$3,081$3,785
Delaware1$2,977$2,977$2,977$9,068
Florida16$3,007$2,725$10,948$4,032
Georgia7$2,618$984$7,642$4,793
Iowa1$1,624$1,624$1,624$3,909
Idaho2$10,766$10,766$10,766$8,613
Illinois9$3,850$2,670$12,596$3,524
Indiana3$1,590$1,572$1,607$5,660
Kansas2–––$2,304
Kentucky2$7,841$7,841$7,841$3,649
Massachusetts3$4,117$2,651$4,117$2,799
Michigan3$2,685$2,685$3,375$2,186
Minnesota1$1,020$1,020$1,020$2,942
Missouri6$2,755$1,967$4,210$2,286
Mississippi1$1,683$1,683$1,683$4,319
North Carolina6$3,050$667$4,861$2,391
Nebraska1$2,055$2,055$2,055$4,137
New Jersey10$2,566$2,161$6,839$4,539
Nevada1–––$2,482
New York3$7,847$7,285$8,408$3,424
Ohio10$7,465$314$10,615$4,662
Oklahoma2$2,393$1,682$3,104$3,341
Pennsylvania9$2,307$1,454$4,495$2,505
South Carolina5$7,401$7,401$7,401$1,991
South Dakota1$3,059$3,059$3,059$2,577
Tennessee3$9,071$9,071$9,071$2,651
Texas26$6,118$395$6,118$4,322
Utah2$3,937$3,617$4,256$4,064
Virginia7$2,748$2,748$2,748$6,561
Washington2–––$5,649
Wisconsin1–––$7,878
164 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does lower back nerve ablation (radiofrequency) cost at a hospital?

At 99 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for lower back nerve ablation (radiofrequency) is $3,007, and most charge between $1,600 and $8,690. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $4,059. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for lower back nerve ablation (radiofrequency)?

At 49 of the 97 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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