Used for: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring
Effective: January 1, 2026
Time requirement: 10–19 minutes of qualified provider time in a calendar month
Communication requirement: At least 1 real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver
2026 National Average Reimbursement: $26.39 (Non-APM) / $26.52 (APM)
Who can bill: Physicians, PTs, OTs, SLPs
For many rehab therapy practices, the 20-minute threshold required to bill CPT Code 98980 has been a practical limitation in delivering Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) services. Providers regularly review patient data, adjust plans of care, and communicate with patients between visits, yet that work often totals less than 20 minutes in a calendar month. As a result, meaningful clinical management has frequently gone unreimbursed.
Beginning in 2026, CPT Code 98979 creates a new pathway for billing 10 to 19 minutes of RTM treatment management time, allowing practices to appropriately report and capture payment for care management activities that previously fell below the reporting threshold.
There are now six CPT® codes used by providers for RTM that are relevant to musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. The RTM CPT codes are broken down into two basic types: service codes and treatment management codes.
In this blog, we'll explore RTM CPT Code 98979, highlighting its role in expanding RTM access as well as the billing and documentation requirements.
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT® Code 98979: Treatment Management Services, First 10 Minutes
Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician or other qualified health care professional time in a calendar month requiring at least 1 real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver during the calendar month; first 10 minutes.
Treatment Management Code
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the CPT codes for RTM can be billed by "physicians and other eligible qualified healthcare professionals." This includes the following clinicians:
The 2024 CMS Final Rule brought clarification to the rules of General Supervision. This important provision allows Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists in private practice to provide general supervision for RTM services furnished by their PTAs and OTAs, respectively. This supports RTM management services to be performed outside of the clinic, which is instrumental in providing comprehensive at-home support for patients.
In all cases, providers must practice in accordance with applicable state and scope of practice laws.
CPT Code 98979 requires at least one real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver during the calendar month. Based on CMS guidance, interactive communication involves a real-time synchronous, two-way audio interaction that is capable of being enhanced with video or other kinds of data transmission. Acceptable formats include:
Texting and email do not qualify as interactive communication, as they are not considered real-time synchronous exchanges.
.png)
The interactive communication contributes to the total treatment management time but does not need to represent the entire cumulative reported time of the service. Other activities such as reviewing and interpreting RTM data, adjusting care plans, and coordinating patient care also count toward the total time.
CPT Code 98979 may be billed once per calendar month, if 10–19 minutes of treatment management services are met and at least one real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver has occurred.
These are national average payment rates. Actual payments will vary by locality. A provider's payment may be higher or lower than the national payment amounts shown.
A physical therapist evaluates a patient on January 27, 2026 and provides the patient with an FDA-defined Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) to monitor compliance with their home exercise program and self-assessment of pain. The PT instructs the patient on how to use the app, how to capture and input data, and answers the patient's questions.
From January 27–31, 2026, the PT spends 9 minutes and 11 seconds analyzing and interpreting the transmitted data, plus 6 minutes on a phone call with the patient to communicate findings and make modifications to their HEP. The total treatment management time for the month of January is 15 minutes and 11 seconds. Because the provider spent between 10 and 19 minutes on treatment management and conducted a real-time interactive communication (the phone call), the provider can bill CPT Code 98979 for January.
In February, the PT spends over 20 minutes on treatment management for this same patient, so the provider would bill CPT Code 98980 instead for that month.
Both CPT Code 98979 and 98980 cover RTM treatment management services, but they differ based on the amount of provider time spent during the calendar month. 98979 recognizes shorter-duration treatment management that previously went unreimbursed, while 98980 continues to apply when total monthly time reaches 20 minutes or more. One or the other may be billed, not both.
Limber Health’s 2026 RTM Opportunity Guide provides a detailed breakdown of the new CPT codes, documentation standards, and practical billing considerations for rehab therapy practices. Click the below to download your free copy of the guide.
The information provided here about the Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT Codes is for informational purposes only and does not constitute billing or legal advice.
