RTM CPT Code 98979: Quick Guide

Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) is becoming more precise and accessible for therapy practices with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Calendar Year (CY) 2026 updates. CMS released the 2026 RTM CPT Codes in November 2025.  A cornerstone of this evolution is the introduction of RTM CPT code 98979. This addition is a game-changer for rehabilitation professionals, finally providing a path to reimbursement for those targeted, 10-minute clinical check-ins that are often the “sweet spot” for maintaining patient momentum without requiring a full 20-minute session.

What is CPT Code 98979?

RTM CPT code 98979 is a new treatment management code designed for physicians or qualified health care professionals (QHCPs)—such as PTs, OTs, and SLPs—to capture professional time spent managing a patient’s RTM data when it totals at least 10 minutes but less than 20 minutes in a calendar month.

Here is the breakdown of CPT code 98979:

• Service Covered: Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, including reviewing non-physiologic data (e.g., pain levels, exercise adherence), adjusting the plan of care, and patient engagement.
• Time Requirement: Covers the first 10–19 minutes of cumulative professional time in a calendar month.
• Mandatory Component: Requires at least one real-time, interactive communication (e.g., a phone call or video chat) with the patient or caregiver during the month.
• Billing Frequency: Can be billed once per calendar month, per patient.

By lowering the entry threshold from 20 minutes to 10, CPT 98979 ensures that “micro-management” of recovery, which is often the most efficient way to practice—is no longer uncompensated.

The Clinical and Financial Value

Before this update, if a therapist spent 15 minutes reviewing a patient’s progress and conducting a brief phone call, that time was unbillable. CPT 98979 eliminates this “reimbursement gap,” making RTM viable for a much broader range of patients.

CPT code 98979 allows you to capture reimbursement for:

• High-Efficiency Follow-ups: A 12-minute window involving a quick dashboard review of a patient’s range-of-motion trends followed by a 5-minute call to progress their home exercise program.
• Late-Month Enrollments: Patients who start RTM in the final two weeks of a month and only require a brief professional touchpoint before the month resets.
• Stable Patient Oversight: Patients who are progressing well and only need a “pulse check” to ensure continued adherence, rather than an intensive 20-minute review.
• This code rewards clinical efficiency, allowing therapists to manage larger patient panels more effectively while ensuring the practice receives $26.00 for those high-value, shorter interactions.

Billing and Compliance Rules for RTM CPT Code 98979

As a “sometimes therapy” code, 98979 comes with specific regulatory requirements that must be met for successful reimbursement:

The average national payment rate for CPT 98979 is $26.00.*

Compliance Checklist

1. “Always Therapy” Modifiers: When billed by a PT, OT, or SLP, you must use the appropriate therapy modifier (GP, GO, or GN) to indicate the service is provided under a therapy plan of care.
2. Live Communication Only: The required interaction must be synchronous (phone or video). Secure messaging, emails, or AI-generated prompts do not count toward the interactive communication requirement.
3. Documentation of Time: You must document the cumulative time spent. For example: “8 minutes data review + 4 minutes synchronous phone call = 12 total minutes.”
4. Mutual Exclusivity: You cannot bill 98979 and 98980 in the same month. If your management time reaches 20 minutes, you must “step up” to 98980.

Support for CPT Code 98979 Compliance

CPT code 98979 is a major step toward making RTM a sustainable, daily part of the rehabilitative process. It recognizes that in modern therapy, a 10-minute intervention can be just as impactful as a 20-minute one.