Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT Codes 2026: RTM Billing & Reimbursement Guide

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) became more flexible in 2026.

New CPT codes introduced for 2026 allow practices to report certain RTM services at lower data-day and treatment-management thresholds than were available under the previous coding structure.

For pain management practices, these changes are particularly relevant because RTM can be used to monitor musculoskeletal treatment response, therapy adherence and other non-physiological information between office visits.

This guide explains the principal 2026 RTM CPT codes for musculoskeletal and pain management programs, what changed in 2026, and why Medicare reimbursement can vary depending on where your practice is located.

2026 RTM CPT Codes at a Glance

CPT Code	RTM Service	2026 Threshold
98975	Initial RTM setup and patient education	Initial setup
98985	Musculoskeletal RTM device/data supply	2–15 days in a 30-day period
98977	Musculoskeletal RTM device/data supply	16–30 days in a 30-day period
98979	RTM treatment management	First 10 minutes
98980	RTM treatment management	First 20 minutes
98981	Additional RTM treatment management	Each additional 20 minutes

Keep this order intentionally: 98975, 98985, 98977, 98979, 98980, 98981. This groups the codes by workflow rather than numerical order.

CMS added new RTM codes for 2026 and revised the existing RTM device-supply coding structure. For musculoskeletal RTM, 98985 covers 2–15 days in a 30-day period while 98977 covers 16–30 days.

Find Your 2026 Medicare RTM Rates

Medicare RTM reimbursement varies by geographic locality. Enter your practice ZIP code to find your Medicare locality and view the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule amounts for RTM codes 98975, 98985, 98977, 98979, 98980 and 98981.

Calculate Your RTM Reimbursement

What Changed for Remote Therapeutic Monitoring in 2026?

Three new RTM codes were introduced for 2026:

98979 — RTM treatment management, first 10 minutes

98984 — respiratory RTM device supply, 2–15 days

98985 — musculoskeletal RTM device supply, 2–15 days

The descriptors for existing codes 98976 and 98977 were also revised to cover 16–30 days for respiratory and musculoskeletal monitoring respectively.

For a pain management practice focused primarily on musculoskeletal conditions, the most significant additions are 98979 and 98985.

This creates two important tiers for musculoskeletal device/data supply:

2–15 days → 98985

16–30 days → 98977

Treatment-management coding also now includes the new 10-minute code, 98979, alongside the established 20-minute treatment-management codes.

These changes give practices more flexibility when patients participate in RTM but do not reach the higher thresholds.

CPT 98975: RTM Setup and Patient Education

CPT 98975 covers the initial setup and patient education component of an RTM program.

This is the onboarding stage of RTM.

In practice, onboarding may include helping the patient understand how to use the monitoring technology, how information is collected and how to participate successfully in the monitoring program.

For practices implementing RTM, onboarding deserves particular attention. Technology alone does not create a successful monitoring program. Patients need to understand what is expected of them and why continued participation matters.

CPT 98985: Musculoskeletal RTM for 2–15 Days

CPT 98985 is one of the most important RTM additions for pain management practices in 2026.

It covers musculoskeletal RTM device/data supply for 2–15 days within a 30-day period.

The new code establishes a lower reporting-day tier for musculoskeletal RTM.

For pain practices, this may be particularly relevant during treatment initiation, therapy changes, post-procedure monitoring, periods of fluctuating symptoms, or months in which patient participation is intermittent.

CPT 98977: Musculoskeletal RTM for 16–30 Days

CPT 98977 covers musculoskeletal RTM device/data supply for 16–30 days within a 30-day period under the revised 2026 coding structure.

Together, 98985 and 98977 create two musculoskeletal monitoring tiers:

2–15 days → 98985

16–30 days → 98977

This makes tracking patient participation days particularly important.

A well-designed RTM platform should make the number of qualifying data days visible to staff without requiring someone to manually reconstruct patient activity at the end of every month.

CPT 98979: First 10 Minutes of RTM Treatment Management

Another major 2026 addition is CPT 98979.

The code covers the first 10 minutes of RTM treatment-management services in a calendar month and requires at least one real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver during the calendar month.

The treatment-management component of RTM is distinct from simply collecting patient data.

It involves reviewing information generated through RTM and using it as part of the patient's treatment management.

CPT 98980: First 20 Minutes of Treatment Management

CPT 98980 covers the first 20 minutes of RTM treatment-management services during the calendar month.

RTM treatment-management services require at least one real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver during the calendar month.

For a pain practice, treatment-management activity can involve reviewing changes in symptoms, treatment response, adherence or other information collected through RTM and communicating with the patient as part of ongoing management.

This is why RTM should not simply become a passive dashboard that nobody looks at.

The clinical value comes from using the information between visits.

CPT 98981: Each Additional 20 Minutes

CPT 98981 covers each additional 20 minutes of RTM treatment-management time beyond the initial treatment-management service when applicable.

For practices managing patients who require more intensive monitoring, this provides a mechanism for reporting additional treatment-management time when all applicable requirements are satisfied.

Why Tracking RTM Activity Matters

The 2026 coding structure makes accurate activity tracking even more important.

Practices may need visibility into:

patient data days
treatment-management time
interactive patient communication
onboarding
monitoring periods
documentation supporting the service

Trying to reconstruct this information manually at the end of every month can quickly become an administrative burden.

RTM software should therefore do more than collect patient information.

It should help staff understand where each patient stands relative to the applicable billing requirements.

That is one of the principles behind Pilothouse Health: giving practices a clear view of patient engagement, management activity and billing readiness without requiring staff to piece together information from multiple systems.

How Much Does Medicare Pay for RTM in 2026?

There isn't one Medicare reimbursement amount that applies everywhere in the United States.

Medicare Physician Fee Schedule amounts are geographically adjusted based on the applicable Medicare payment locality.

As a result, the Medicare fee-schedule amount for an RTM code in California may differ from the amount for the same code in Oregon, Texas, New York or Florida.

Example: 2026 Medicare RTM Rates

Using the 2026 CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule data, the non-facility amounts for MAC Locality 0111205 (San Francisco, California) are:

CPT	2026 Medicare Non-Facility Amount
98975	$29.95
98985	$72.20
98977	$72.20
98979	$33.61
98980	$68.78
98981	$50.99

These are 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule amounts for this specific locality, not guaranteed reimbursement. Actual payment can depend on coverage, patient eligibility, documentation, medical necessity, payer policy, modifiers, claim adjudication and other factors.

Check the Medicare RTM Rates for Your Practice

Pilothouse Health's free RTM Reimbursement Calculator uses 2026 CMS Medicare locality and Physician Fee Schedule data to identify the applicable locality and RTM fee-schedule amounts from a practice ZIP code.

Enter Your ZIP Code

Why RTM Reimbursement Varies by Location

CMS geographically adjusts Physician Fee Schedule payment amounts to account for variation in practice costs across different areas.

Each Medicare payment locality has geographic adjustments that affect the Physician Fee Schedule amount.

This is why the same RTM CPT code can have different Medicare fee-schedule amounts in different parts of the country.

The Pilothouse Health RTM Reimbursement Calculator uses CMS ZIP-to-carrier/locality data and 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule data to make this easier to look up.

RTM Is More Than a Billing Program

The economics of RTM matter, but reimbursement should not be the only reason to implement it.

The larger opportunity is gaining visibility into what happens to patients during the weeks or months between office visits.

A patient may experience increasing pain, declining activity, poor sleep or lack of improvement long before the next scheduled appointment.

RTM can help bring those changes to the care team's attention earlier.

For pain management practices, the goal should be to build a program in which better patient visibility and sustainable reimbursement support one another.

Making RTM Easier for Pain Management Practices

Pilothouse Health was built around the realities of running RTM in pain management.

The platform helps practices:

enroll patients
collect ongoing patient-reported information
monitor progress between visits
track management activity
document patient communication
identify billing readiness
generate supporting documentation

Practices can use Pilothouse as a software platform or choose a more fully managed approach depending on how much of the RTM workflow they want their staff to handle. If you are evaluating RTM providers, the ability to scale operational support to match your team's capacity is one of the most important factors to consider.

Better Care. Between Every Visit.

Explore Pilothouse for Practices

See how Pilothouse Health handles enrollment, monitoring, management time tracking, and reporting — so your team can focus on patient care.

Explore Pilothouse for Practices →

Frequently Asked Questions About 2026 RTM Codes

What are the new RTM CPT codes for 2026?

Three new RTM codes were introduced for 2026: 98979, 98984 and 98985. For musculoskeletal and pain-management RTM, 98979 and 98985 are particularly relevant.

What is CPT 98985?

98985 covers musculoskeletal RTM device/data supply for 2–15 days within a 30-day period.

What is CPT 98977 in 2026?

98977 covers musculoskeletal RTM device/data supply for 16–30 days within a 30-day period. Its descriptor was revised for 2026.

What is CPT 98979?

98979 covers the first 10 minutes of RTM treatment-management services in a calendar month and requires at least one real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver during the calendar month.

Does Medicare reimbursement for RTM vary by location?

Yes. Medicare Physician Fee Schedule amounts are geographically adjusted, so the amount can vary according to the applicable Medicare payment locality.

Does meeting a CPT threshold guarantee reimbursement?

No. CPT thresholds and Medicare Physician Fee Schedule amounts do not guarantee payment. Coverage, medical necessity, patient eligibility, documentation, payer requirements, modifiers and claim adjudication can affect reimbursement.

Official CMS Resources

This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, coding or billing advice. CPT coding and reimbursement requirements may change, and payer policies can vary. Practices should verify current requirements with CMS, their Medicare Administrative Contractor, applicable payers and qualified billing or compliance professionals.