Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in Seattle, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $2,728.32 to $3,182.91, with a median of $2,728.32. The lowest listed price is at Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill and 1 other hospital. Across Washington, the median is $2,728.32 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 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 Apr 1, 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill lowest Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $2,728.32 | $5,684.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah lowest Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $2,728.32 | $5,684.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill lowest Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $2,728.32 | $5,684.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 DESTROY LUMB/SAC FACET JNT - FAC | $3,182.91 | $6,241.00 | $3,744.60–$4,992.80 | 49% | — source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $5,515.20 | $11,490.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $5,515.20 | $11,490.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC DSTR NROLYTC AGNT PARVERTEB FCT SNGL LMBR/SACRAL | $5,515.20 | $11,490.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,728.32, median $2,728.32, highest $3,182.91 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $5,515.20. 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 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.