The world of remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) is becoming more flexible and aligned with real-world clinical practice, due to key updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Calendar Year (CY) 2026. The 2026 CPT Codes were released with a few new codes. A part of this evolution is the introduction of RTM CPT code 98984. For respiratory care teams, new CPT code 98984 is a vital addition, ensuring they can be properly reimbursed for device supply costs in shorter monitoring windows that were previously uncompensated.
What is CPT Code 98984?
RTM CPT code 98984 is the new code specifically designed to capture the technical component, the device supply and data transmission, for respiratory monitoring when data is collected for fewer than the 16-day threshold required by the existing CPT code 98976.
Here is the essential breakdown of CPT code 98984:
- Service Covered: Remote therapeutic monitoring device(s) supply for data access or data transmissions to support monitoring of the respiratory system.
- Time Requirement: The code covers a cumulative monitoring period of 2–15 days within a 30-day period.
- Data Type: This includes monitoring of therapy adherence, therapy response, and digital therapeutic interventions (e.g., inhaler sensors or spirometers).
- Billing Frequency: CPT code 98984 can be billed once per 30-day period per patient.
This code effectively fills the gap created by the “16-day rule,” acknowledging that short-term monitoring is often clinically necessary for acute respiratory episodes, medication titration, or post-surgical recovery.
The Clinical and Financial Value
The ability to bill for shorter monitoring windows directly improves your program’s flexibility and financial sustainability. Many respiratory interventions reach their peak clinical utility in the first two weeks of a new treatment plan.
CPT code 98984 allows you to capture reimbursement for:
- Acute Flare-up Monitoring: Providing a digital spirometer to a patient for 10 days following an asthma or COPD exacerbation to ensure they are stabilizing.
- Medication Titration: Tracking daily inhaler adherence for 14 days after starting a new maintenance medication to verify the patient’s technique and response.
- Short-Term Post-Op Care: Monitoring respiratory flow rates for a week following thoracic or abdominal surgery to prevent complications like atelectasis.
Clinicians can now deploy RTM devices for targeted, high-impact windows without losing the device supply reimbursement if the patient doesn’t reach 16 days of transmissions. This leads to improved patient compliance and minimized financial risk for the practice.
Billing and Compliance Rules for CPT Code 98984
Proper billing under the new 2026 rules requires strict adherence to the number of days data is transmitted:
| CPT Code | Service Description | Required Monitoring Days | Billing Rule |
| 98984 (NEW) | Respiratory Device Supply | 2–15 Days | Mutually Exclusive with 98976 |
| 98976 (Revised) | Respiratory Device Supply | 16–30 Days | Cannot be billed with 98984 |
| 98975 | Initial Set-up & Education | One-time event | Billed at the start of the service |
The average national payment rate for this code is $47.00.
Compliance Checklist
- System Specificity: 98984 is specifically for the respiratory system. For musculoskeletal monitoring of 2–15 days, you must use CPT code 98985.
- Mutual Exclusivity: You cannot bill both 98984 and 98976 in the same 30-day period. Choose the code that reflects the actual number of days data was transmitted.
- Minimum Threshold: At least 2 days of data must be transmitted to qualify. If a patient only transmits 1 day of data, the service is not billable under this code.
- Device Requirements: The device used must meet the FDA definition of a medical device and be capable of transmitting data to support the monitoring of the respiratory system.
Support for CPT Code 98984 Compliance
The adoption of CPT code 98984 is a definitive step toward making RTM accessible for short-term, high-acuity respiratory care. It ensures that the costs of providing cutting-edge digital health tools are covered, even when a full month of monitoring isn’t clinically necessary.
