Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Athens, GA
In Athens-Clarke County, GA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $1,642.22 to $3,545.75, with a median of $2,593.99. The lowest listed price is at Piedmont Athens Regional — $951.77 less than the median here. Across Georgia, the median is $2,222.00 at 53 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 64635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 1, 2025 and Jul 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Athens-Clarke County, GA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont Athens Regional lowest Athens, GA · (706) 475-7000 HC Dest Lumb/Sac Facet Jnt | $1,642.22 | $5,474.06 | $582.44–$4,819.75 | 70% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| St Mary's Hospital one side Athens, GA · (706) 389-3000 HC DESTRUCTION BY NEUROLYTIC AGENT W/IMAGING GUIDANCE LUMBAR/SAC | $3,545.75 | $5,455.00 | $3,207.54–$4,364.00 | 35% | Jan 1, 2025 source file |
| St Mary's Hospital one side Athens, GA · (706) 389-3000 HC DESTRUCTION BY NEUROLYTIC AGENT W/IMAGING GUIDANCE LUMBAR/SAC | $3,545.75 | $5,455.00 | $3,207.54–$4,364.00 | 35% | Jan 1, 2025 source file |
| Piedmont Athens Regional both sides Athens, GA · (706) 475-7000 HC Dest Lumb/Sac Facet Jnt Bi | $2,463.33 | $8,211.09 | $3,420.00–$5,262.00 | 70% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,642.22, median $2,593.99, highest $3,545.75 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $2,463.33, median $2,463.33, highest $2,463.33.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $1,642.22. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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
Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to disable the small nerves that carry pain from lower back facet joints, using imaging to guide the needle.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the injection and imaging guidance. The steroid or other medicine may be billed separately.