Updated for 2026: This guide now includes the two new RTM CPT codes for MSK care (98985 & 98979) finalized in the CY 2026 MedicarePhysician Fee Schedule, along with updated reimbursement rates and billing thresholds effective January 1, 2026
The annual cost of all conditions to the healthcare system is staggering, specifically the costs associated with MSK conditions. On average, musculoskeletal conditions cost the healthcare system ~$600 billion dollars per year. That’s more than twice what heart disease costs the healthcare system. Research shows that early and adherent physical therapy can not only decrease these costs, but also improve patient outcomes. Prescribing home exercise programs is a gold standard for almost all physical therapy clinics, however, only about 30% of patients are actually successful with completing their home exercise programs.
Additionally, as much as 80% of information told to patients in the clinic is immediately forgotten, including the importance of, and the nuances related to a patient’s home exercise program. Remote Therapeutic Monitoring or RTM is intended to be a solution to bridge the gap between those in-clinic visits.
Remote therapeutic monitoring or (RTM) refers to the use of digital technology to track and remotely monitor a patient's health status, treatment progress, and adherence to a provider’s plan of care, specifically for musculoskeletal and respiratory patients. The Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services (CMS) approved the original RTM CPT® codes for coverage and payment in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule and expanded the code set with additional codes in the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
RTM helps therapists support patient progress between visits, promote adherence to prescribed home exercise programs, and track outcomes using digital tools that extend care beyond in-clinic sessions.
We have seen how useful digital technology can be for both patients and providers. From the evolution of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) for providers to the use of step trackers for patients, the healthcare industry continues to offer providers and their patients with more opportunities to be informed and connected to their care.
Introduced in January 2022, Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) represents the next stage in integrating digital technology into healthcare. It offers a seamless opportunity for providers and patients to engage with treatment plans and home exercise programs by providing remote tools, virtual support, and communication between in-clinic appointments. Research indicates that communication outside of clinic visits can enhance exercise adherence and the amount of exercise performed, thanks to improved social support and feedback.
Continuous communication between the patient and the care team provides valuable insights for modifying the care plan effectively. By combining subjective and objective measures, RTM paints a clear picture of the patient's status and response to treatment. Adjustments made to the plan based on RTM data can enhance patient adherence to home exercise programs and improve outcomes significantly.
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According to the rules published by CMS, RTM refers to the collection and monitoring of ‘non-physiological data’ via an approved ‘medical device’.
Non-physiological data includes musculoskeletal system status, therapy adherence, and therapy response (think pain scores, exercise compliance data, and outcome measures).
Dissimilar to Remote Physiologic Monitoring or RPM (where patient data must be automatically transmitted to the provider via a connected medical device), with RTM, the data can include self-reported information through the device by the patient.
The RTM device must meet the definition of a medical device, as defined by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) :
According to CMS, “physicians and other eligible qualified healthcare professionals” can bill for the RTM CPT codes. RTM services are within the scope of practice of several disciplines, including the following:
In all cases, providers must practice with applicable state and scope of practice laws.
As of January 1, 2026, all RTM codes (including the new codes 98979 and 98985) are designated as“sometimes therapy” services. When furnished by therapists, these services must be provided under a therapy plan of care and require a GP, GO, or GN modifier. Codes 98975, 98979, 98980, and 98981 are subject to the de minimis (10%)standard policy. If services are provided in whole or in part by a PTA or OTA, the CQ or CO modifier must be appended accordingly.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM) codes proved to be invaluable for physicians, enabling them to stay informed of their patient’s health status despite home quarantine measures and decreased in-person care. The only problem? Musculoskeletal and respiratory providers and services did not qualify for these codes.
RPM services are only for physicians and certain non-physician practitioners (e.g. physician assistants, nurse practitioners) and are intended to monitor a patient’s physiologic parameters such as weight, blood pressure, pulse oximetry or respiratory flow rate. RPM is typically used to monitor chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
RTM was created to focus on musculoskeletal and respiratory systems, therapy adherence and therapy response, and represents the review and monitoring of data related to signs, symptoms and functions of a therapeutic response. Importantly, RTM expands the types of providers allowed to bill these codes to include physical therapists and occupational therapists.
Note: RPM also received new codes for 2026, including CPT 99445 (device supply for 2-15 days of data transmission) and CPT 99470 (treatment management for 10-19 minutes),paralleling the RTM expansion. However, RPM and RTM cannot be billed together for the same patient during the same calendar month.
A CPT® code (or CurrentProcedural Terminology code) is a numerical code assigned to each medicalprocedure and service. These codes are used by healthcare providers to describethe services they provide to patients for billing and insurance purposes.
Starting January 1, 2026, theCMS CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule expanded the RTM code set. There are now eight CPT codes for RTM. Six of those are relevant to musculoskeletal conditions, two of which are brand new for 2026. The codes break down into two basic types: service codes and treatment management codes.
Remote therapeutic monitoring; initial set-up and patient education on use of equipment. This code may be billed for a patient once per episode of care. By definition, an episode of care begins when the RTM service starts, and ends when established treatment goals are met. You cannot bill code 98975 if less than 2 days of monitoring occurred. (Read our blog on CPT Code 98975)
Remote therapeutic monitoring(e.g., therapy adherence, therapy response, digital therapeutic intervention);device(s) supply for data access or data transmissions to support monitoring of musculoskeletal system, 2 to 15 days in a 30-day period.
This new code allows providers to bill for RTM device supply when a patient transmits data for 2 to 15 days within a 30-day period. Previously, RTM billing required at least 16 days of data collection, which often excluded short-term patients or lower-intensity monitoring. CPT 98985 directly addresses that gap, creating a new billing pathway for patients who engage with RTM for shorter durations. (Read our blog on CPT Code 98985)
Billing Note: Bill either 98985 (2-15 days) OR 98977 (16-30 days) based on the number of days of data transmissions that occur during a 30-day period. These codes are mutually exclusive and should not be billed together for the same patient in the same 30-day period.
Remote therapeutic monitoring; device(s) supply with scheduled recording(s) and/or programmed alert(s)transmission to monitor musculoskeletal system, 16-30 days in a 30-day period.This code can be billed for a patient once each 30 days. (Read our blog on CPT Code 98977)
Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician or other qualified health care professional time in a calendar month requiring at least 1 real-timeinteractive communication with the patient or caregiver during the calendar month; first 10-19 minutes.
This new code fills a critical gap for lower-intensity monitoring. Previously, a full 20 minutes of treatment management time was required to bill for any reimbursement. CPT 98979 allows reimbursement for patients with 10 to 19 minutes of monthly treatment management services. (Read our blog on CPT Code 98979)
Billing Note: Bill either 98979 (10-19 minutes) OR 98980 (20+ minutes) based on total provider time in a calendar month. Once 20 minutes of treatment management time is reached, bill 98980 only. Do not bill both 98979 and 98980 for the same patient in the same calendar month.
Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician/other qualified healthcare professional time in a calendar month requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar month; first 20 minutes. This code can be billed once per calendar month for the first 20 minutes of care provided to the patient. For instance, if you perform a total of 20 minutes during the month speaking directly with the patient regarding their therapy program, monitoring their pain level data, and reviewing their exercise compliance, you qualify to bill this code. This code can be billed once per calendar month. If you perform only 19 minutes of these services, you should now bill 98979 instead. (Read our blog on CPT Code 98980)
Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician/other qualified healthcare professional time in a calendar month requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar month; each additional 20 minutes. This code can be billed if you perform additional services as outlined in code 98980 beyond the initial 20 minutes, during the same calendar month. For instance, if you perform an additional 22 minutes answering the patient’s questions, and reviewing and analyzing data, you qualify to bill this code. However, if you only perform an additional 15 minutes of the services, you do not qualify (Read our blog on CPT Code 98981)
Important: CPT 98981 can only be added on top ofCPT 98980 (the first 20-minute code). It cannot be stacked onto CPT 98979 (thefirst 10-minute code).
Providers are only eligible to bill the treatment management codes (98979, 98980, and 98981) if at least one ‘interactive communication’ with the patient is performed during the calendar month. CMS has adopted the CPT code book language stating that these codes “require a live, interactive communication with the patient/caregiver". Text messages, chat or emails do not quality. The interactive communication contributes to the total time, but it does not need to represent the entire cumulative reported time of the treatment management service.” In other words, a phone or video call is required, but it does not have to account for the full billed time.
The 2026 Final Rule adds two new CPT codes for RTM and updates national average payments across the existing set. The table below reflects all MSK-relevant RTM codes and their finalized2026 reimbursement rates.
At the inception of RTM in 2022, the Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT codes were recognized solely by traditional Medicare and many Medicare Advantage plans. However, over time, there has been adoption from many commercial payors. With our experience, we have identified several additional payors covering RTM codes. To learn more about these payors, and better understand the ROI for your organization, click here to speak to a member of our team.
RTM enables providers to improve their clinical insight and understanding of a patient’s health status beyond in-clinic appointments. Providers gain real-time visibility into patientp rogress between visits, better adherence tracking for home exercise programs, and actionable data to demonstrate value and support outcomes-based reporting.
RTM removes barriers to care by meeting patients where they are, when they need it. The service allows patients to receive care from the comfort of their own homes, which can be especially beneficial for those who have access issues (such as rural areas), and difficulty attending regularly scheduled in-clinic appointments.
RTM empowers patients by giving them improved access to their health data and care plan. Patients gain continuous connection to their care team beyond the clinic walls, accessible and easy-to-follow digital home programs, and confidence knowing their progress is being monitored. Patients using Limber RTM completed 3.3x more home exercise sessions than those on standard home exercise programs alone.
Athletico Physical Therapy has seen RTM help improve pain and function outcomes by more than 30% vs. patients not utilizing RTM. Read the case study here.
RTM enables more opportunities for communication, thereby strengthening the patient-provider relationship.Frequent communication and motivation, outside of regularly scheduled clinic visits, can positively impact a patient’s perception of barriers to adherence and build lasting rapport.
The RTM service line provides further opportunities for revenue compared to the traditional clinical model.The addition of CPT codes 98985 and 98979 in 2026 enables clinics to bill for shorter monitoring durations and partial-month management that were previously excluded under the 16-day and 20-minute thresholds. This expanded billing flexibility could increase the number of billable RTM patients by 20-40%,capturing revenue for the work clinicians are already doing.
RTM has the potential to decrease downstream healthcare costs by improving the ability to track existing health issues, detect new conditions before they become problematic, and triage patients appropriately. RTM allows for early intervention, which in turn, can reduce unnecessary surgeries, MRIs, opioids, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations.
Selecting the right RTM solution for your practice is an important decision that can significantly impact patient care and outcomes. Here are a few essential factors to consider when selecting the ideal RTM technology and service for your practice, providers and patients.
Choosing the appropriate Remote Therapeutic Monitoring technology depends on discovering a platform that offers tailored and flexible solutions to match your organization's requirements. Whether you're a small clinic with five providers or a large healthcare system with thousands, the technology should seamlessly adjust to support your needs and, consequently, those of your patients.
A streamlined workflow is vital for healthcare professionals and patients to effectively utilize the remote monitoring platform. The selected RTM service should prioritize an intuitive user experience, allowing providers to effortlessly access real-time data and efficiently monitor patient progress, thereby ensuring seamless clinical care delivery.
Patient privacy and data security are paramount in the digital healthcare landscape. It's imperative the chosen RTM service and system you choose must adhere to rigorous privacy protocols and comply with industry standards, like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Prioritizing security ensures peace of mind for both patients and providers throughout their experience using the platform.
To optimize the advantages of RTM, it's essential to achieve seamless integration and collaboration with other healthcare providers. A well-integrated system streamlines workflows, improves care coordination, and promotes efficient communication between patients and healthcare teams, ultimately resulting in enhanced patient outcomes.
On October 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its Calendar Year 2026Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule. The rule brings the most significant updates for Remote Therapeutic Monitoring since RTM’s introduction in 2022, making it more flexible, more accessible, and more financially rewarding for rehab therapy providers.
Additional CPT codes, including two new codes specific to musculoskeletal (MSK) care (CPT 98985) and treatment management (CPT 98979) that recognize shorter monitoring durations and lower-intensity management time. Other codes were added for Respiratory (CPT98984) and Cognitive Behavioral monitoring.
Increased reimbursement rates across several existing RTM CPT codes. A favorable conversion factor and payment environment that supports digital health and hybrid care adoption.
Lowered billing thresholds that align with real-world patient engagement patterns. Previously, RTM billing required 16+ days of data collection within a 30-day period and a minimum of 20minutes of provider management time. The new codes address that gap by allowing billing for as few as 2 days of monitoring and 10 minutes of management time.
For rehab therapy practices, these updates mean greater billing flexibility, more accurate reimbursement for real-world patient interactions, and stronger incentives to implement RTM and hybrid care models in 2026 and beyond. Read our detailed breakdown of the 2026 CMS Final Rule and RTM.
At Limber Health, we pride ourselves on offering a premier RTM platform, delivering the option for a turnkey-RTM solution that seamlessly integrates into your practice workflow and facilitates hybrid care. With the expanded 2026 RTM codes now in effect, there's never been a better time to implement or scale Remote Therapeutic Monitoring in your practice. Click below to request a demo and explore RTM.
