Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 11 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $419.25 to $3,153.00, with a median of $2,038.60. The lowest listed price is at Bethesda North and 1 other hospital — $1,619.35 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $3,065.25 at 74 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 5 cities for code 64635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethesda North lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Destroy Lumb/Sac Facet Jnt | $419.25 | $559.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Destroy Lumb/Sac Facet Jnt | $419.25 | $559.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Pr Dstr Nrolytc Agnt Parverteb Fct Sngl Lmbr/Sacral|By Specialist | $816.51 | $1,601.00 | $102.11–$1,601.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Pr Dstr Nrolytc Agnt Parverteb Fct Sngl Lmbr/Sacral|By Midlevel | $816.51 | $1,601.00 | $86.79–$1,376.61 | 49% | — source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Ablat Lum 1St Lvl Uni Inc Img | $1,137.60 | $1,896.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Ablat Lum 1St Lvl Uni Inc Img | $1,137.60 | $1,896.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Destroy Nrv Lbr/Sacr Fjt W Img | $2,038.60 | $2,718.14 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Destroy Nrv Lbr/Sacr Fjt W Img | $2,038.60 | $2,718.14 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Destroy Nrv Lbr/Sacr Fjt W Img | $2,038.60 | $2,718.14 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Rf Destruct Lum Single | $3,153.00 | $5,255.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Rf Destruct Lum Single | $3,153.00 | $5,255.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Rf Destruct Lum Single | $3,153.00 | $5,255.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Rf Destruct Lum Single | $3,153.00 | $5,255.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Rf Destruct Lum Single | $3,153.00 | $5,255.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Bethesda North both sides Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Destroy Nrv Lbr/Sacr Fjt W Img Bilat | $4,077.22 | $5,436.29 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH both sides Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Destroy Nrv Lbr/Sacr Fjt W Img Bilat | $4,077.22 | $5,436.29 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital both sides Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Destroy Nrv Lbr/Sacr Fjt W Img Bilat | $4,077.22 | $5,436.29 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $419.25, median $2,038.60, highest $3,153.00 — a 7.5× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $4,077.22, median $4,077.22, highest $4,077.22.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $2,595.80. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.