Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Duluth, MN — inpatient
In Duluth, MN-WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level as an inpatient: from $962.88 to $2,228.28, with a median of $1,595.58. The lowest listed price is at Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital — $632.70 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $2,102.45 at 40 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 64635, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 29, 2026 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 Duluth, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital lowest Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $962.88 | $1,770.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital lowest Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Dstr Nrolytc Agnt Parverteb Fct Sngl Lmbr/Sacral | $962.88 | $1,770.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Xr Destruction of L S Facet Nerve Jts | $2,086.24 | $3,835.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Range Regional Health Services Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 HC DESTRUCT PARVERTEB FACET SINGL LUMBAR/SACRAL | $2,228.28 | $5,243.00 | $2,385.57–$5,217.31 | 57% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Dstr Nrolytc Agnt Parverteb Fct Sngl Lmbr/Sacral|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $1,444.32 | $2,655.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Xr Destruction of L S Facet Nerve Jts|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $3,129.36 | $5,752.50 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $962.88, median $1,595.58, highest $2,228.28 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $1,444.32, median $1,444.32, highest $1,444.32.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $2,583.90 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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 and 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 64635 ($2,684.44). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Range Regional Health Services Hibbing, MNAS DESTRUCT PARVERTEB FACET SINGL LUMBAR/SACRAL | $38.25 | file |