Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Madison, WI
In Madison, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $1,150.50 to $2,238.40, with a median of $1,694.45. The lowest listed price is at Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital — $543.95 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $1,841.22 at 43 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 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 Jan 28, 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 Madison, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital lowest Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $1,150.50 | $1,770.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital lowest Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Pro Dstr Nrolytc Agnt Parverteb Fct Sngl Lmbr/Sacral | $1,150.50 | $1,770.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 PR DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $2,238.40 | $2,798.00 | $177.36–$2,658.10 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Xr Destruction of L S Facet Nerve Jts | $2,492.75 | $3,835.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 HC DESTROY LUMB/SAC FACET JNT UNIL | $4,484.48 | $5,605.59 | $1,289.29–$5,325.31 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital both sides Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Pro Dstr Nrolytc Agnt Parverteb Fct Sngl Lmbr/Sacral|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $1,725.75 | $2,655.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital both sides Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Xr Destruction of L S Facet Nerve Jts|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $3,739.12 | $5,752.50 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter both sides Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 HC DESTROY LUMB/SAC FACET JNT BILAT | $8,968.95 | $11,211.18 | $1,886.22–$10,650.62 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,150.50, median $1,694.45, highest $2,238.40 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $1,725.75, median $5,347.35, highest $8,968.95 — a 5.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,694.45. 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.