If you're running a private practice, you already know the margins are tight. You're doing a lot of work between sessions that never shows up on an invoice — sending home programs, answering parent questions, adjusting care plans based on what a patient reported at their last visit. That work is real and went completely unreimbursed.

That changed in 2022, and most allied health practitioners still don't know it.

What Is Remote Therapeutic Monitoring?

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) is a set of CPT codes introduced by CMS that allows speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and physicians to bill for monitoring patient adherence and progress outside of therapy sessions.

It's not telehealth. You're not conducting remote sessions. RTM reimburses you for the between-session clinical work you're likely already doing.

To bill RTM, you need to use a qualifying RTM technology platform that allows patients to self-report non-physiological data: things like therapy activity completion, symptom tracking, and functional progress. The platform creates the documentation trail that makes the codes billable.

The Three RTM Code Sets

RTM billing breaks down into three components:

1. Setup and education (one-time per episode)

   1. Code 98975 covers enrolling a patient in your RTM platform and educating them on how and why to use it.

2. 2. Device supply (billed monthly)

   1. Codes 98976, 98977, and 98978 cover the monthly supply of monitoring technology when a patient engages with the platform at least 16 days in a 30-day period. These codes are body-system specific: respiratory, musculoskeletal, and cognitive behavioral, respectively.

3. Treatment management (billed monthly)

   1. Codes 98980 and 98981 cover the time you spend reviewing patient data, adjusting home programs, and communicating with patients between sessions. Code 98980 covers the first 20 minutes; 98981 covers each additional 20 minutes.

RTM codes are listed on ASHA's CPT code page and covered by Medicare, most Medicaid programs, and the majority of commercial insurances.

What Changed in 2026

The CMS CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, effective January 1, 2026, expanded RTM in ways that meaningfully lower the barrier to entry for private practice clinicians.

Four new CPT codes were added for shorter monitoring periods:

- **98984** — Respiratory system monitoring, 2–15 days of data transmission per 30-day period

- **98985** — Musculoskeletal system monitoring, 2–15 days

- **98986** — Cognitive behavioral therapy monitoring, 2–15 days

- **98979** — Treatment management services, first 10 minutes (requires at least one live, interactive communication with patient or caregiver)

Previously, you needed a patient to hit 16+ days of engagement before you could bill the device supply codes at all. That threshold was a catch-22 — it was hard to build patient confidence in a new workflow when you couldn't even demonstrate value until they hit a minimum. The new 2–15 day codes mean you can begin billing sooner, test workflows with your patient population, and demonstrate ROI almost immediately.

CMS also clarified what counts as "interactive communication" for treatment management codes: it must be live and real-time — in person, by phone, or by video. In-clinic discussions count, as long as those minutes aren't already billed under a separate therapy service. Asynchronous messages and app logs do not qualify.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Here's a simplified clinical workflow:

1. Enroll the patient and educate them on how to use the RTM platform (bills 98975)

2. Assign therapy activities directly in the platform instead of printing handouts or sending emails

3. The patient engages at home — checking off completed activities, logging questions, noting progress

4. You monitor and respond — you can see what they're completing, what they're skipping, and what questions came up in the moment rather than a week later

5. At the end of the month, you bill based on actual days of engagement and time spent in treatment management

For a practice with 100 patients on RTM, national reimbursement averages put the additional annual revenue somewhere in the range of $50,000–$80,000.

Why This Matters Beyond the Revenue

RTM addresses something clinicians have wrestled with forever: you see a patient once or twice a week, and the hours in between — the hours where carryover either happens or doesn't — are largely invisible to you.

With RTM, you gain visibility into what's happening at home. You can see patterns (morning versus evening, consistent versus spotty, too easy versus too hard), respond to patient questions when they come up rather than a week later, and make care plan adjustments based on real data. It’s better clinical care and additional revenue.

Want to Go Deeper?

The Private Practice Collective works with IndiAide to bring RTM education directly to practice owners. If you're curious whether RTM could work in your setting, IndiAide offers a free RTM guide and 30-minute consultations with their team. Mention the Layers Consulting Private Practice Collective when you reach out.

[Link to webinar recording coming soon.]