Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $2,499.00 to $3,296.80, with a median of $3,296.80. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $797.80 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $4,056.77 at 58 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 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 Apr 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 DEST FACET L/S SNGL - 64635 - 4007241 | $2,499.00 | $4,831.50 | $195.46–$4,831.50 | 48% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 DEST FACET L/S SNGL - 64635 - 2700706 | $2,499.00 | $4,831.50 | $195.46–$4,831.50 | 48% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 DEST FACET L/S SNGL - 64635 - 4103412 | $2,499.00 | $4,831.50 | $195.46–$4,831.50 | 48% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Injection Of Lower Or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $3,088.25 | $5,615.00 | $195.46–$11,865.15 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $3,296.80 | $6,340.00 | $1,937.00–$5,762.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $3,296.80 | $6,340.00 | $1,937.00–$5,762.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $3,296.80 | $6,340.00 | $1,937.00–$5,762.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Injection Of Lower Or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $6,790.10 | $12,345.64 | $15.00–$11,865.15 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,499.00, median $3,296.80, highest $3,296.80 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $3,296.80. 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 5 of 5 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.