Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Milwaukee, WI — inpatient
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level as an inpatient: from $507.21 to $1,240.20, with a median of $873.71. The lowest listed price is at Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute — $366.50 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 inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute lowest Mequon, WI HC PBB DESTROY LUMB/SAC FACET JNT | $507.21 | $957.00 | $308.33 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC PBB DESTROY LUMB/SAC FACET JNT | $1,240.20 | $2,340.00 | $308.33–$1,654.43 | 47% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $507.21, median $873.71, highest $1,240.20 — a 2.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $1,841.22 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 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.