Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Providence, RI
In Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $1,205.00 to $5,681.90, with a median of $3,478.50. The lowest listed price is at Rhode Island Hospital — $2,273.50 less than the median here. Across Rhode Island, the median is $2,184.00 at 3 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 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 Sep 1, 2026 and Sep 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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island Hospital lowest Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC PR NEUROLYTIC FACET BLK IST L/S | $1,205.00 | $1,205.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Landmark Medical Center Woonsocket, RI · (401) 769-4100 Hc Dstr Nrolytc Agnt Parverteb Fct Sngl Lmbr/Sacral | $2,184.00 | $6,962.80 | $519.96–$6,614.66 | 69% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Newport Hospital Newport, RI · (401) 846-6400 HC NEUROLYTIC FACET BLK IST L/S | $4,773.00 | $4,773.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Rhode Island Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC NEUROLYTIC FACET BLK IST L/S | $4,773.00 | $4,773.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Saint Anne's Hospital Fall River, MA · (508) 674-5600 HC NEUROLYTIC FACET BLK IST L/S | $5,681.90 | $5,681.90 | — | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,205.00, median $3,478.50, highest $5,681.90 — a 4.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $4,773.00. 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.