Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Columbia, MO
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $603.60 to $2,754.60, with a median of $1,679.10. The lowest listed price is at Boone Hospital Center — $1,075.50 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $1,373.78 at 20 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 64635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 and Apr 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Hospital Center lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 DESTROY LUMB/SAC FACET JNT | $603.60 | $1,006.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 DESTRUCT FACET NERVE(S) LUMBAR/SACRAL SINGLE W/IMAGING-AM | $2,754.60 | $4,591.00 | $1,017.00–$5,200.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 DESTRUCT FACET NERVE(S) LUMBAR/SACRAL SINGLE W/IMAGING-JIR | $2,754.60 | $4,591.00 | $1,606.85–$4,040.08 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 DESTRUCT FACET NERVE(S) LUMBAR/SACRAL SINGLE W/IMAGING-XM | $2,754.60 | $4,591.00 | $1,606.85–$4,040.08 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 DESTRUCT FACET NERVE(S) LUMBAR/SACRAL SINGLE W/IMAGING-MCLN | $2,754.60 | $4,591.00 | $0.01 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 DESTRUCT FACET NERVE(S) LUMBAR/SACRAL SINGLE W/IMAGING-JPMC | $2,754.60 | $4,591.00 | $0.01 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 DESTRUCT FACET NERVE(S) LUMBAR/SACRAL SINGLE W/IMAGING-CSJC | $2,754.60 | $4,591.00 | $0.01 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 DESTRUCT FACET NERVE(S) LUMBAR/SACRAL SINGLE W/IMAGING-XO | $2,754.60 | $4,591.00 | $1,606.85–$4,040.08 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 DEST LUMB/SAC FACET JNT 64635 | $4,599.60 | $7,666.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center both sides Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 DEST LUMB/SAC FACT JT BI 64635 | $9,199.20 | $15,332.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $603.60, median $1,679.10, highest $2,754.60 — a 4.6× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $9,199.20, median $9,199.20, highest $9,199.20.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,679.10. 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.