Remote Therapeutic Monitoring

What it is

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) is the collection and interpretation of non-physiologic, therapeutic data — respiratory system status (e.g., peak flow) and medication / therapy adherence and response — from a connected device, with treatment management between visits.

RTM is RPM's therapeutic twin: it bills on the same rolling 30-day cycle, starting on the setup date of the patient's first active device, and is mutually exclusive with RPM for the same patient in the same month. Unlike RPM, RTM may be ordered and billed by a broader set of practitioners (including therapists).

Who qualifies

• Patient has ≥ 1 condition appropriate for therapeutic monitoring (v1: COPD, asthma — respiratory; plus medication-adherence / therapy-response monitoring).
• A connected device of an approved type is assigned (v1: respiratory peak-flow / spirometer).
• Established patient — willowbridge requires a prior E/M visit before enrolling RTM. CMS requires this today for RPM but not for RTM; the CY 2027 proposed rule (CMS-1848-P) would extend it to RTM.
• Consent captured (verbal or written) with copay disclosure.
• RTM and RPM are mutually exclusive for the same patient in the same month.

Codes & when to bill them

Each billable code, with the requirements that must be on file to bill it.

• 98975RTM setup and patient education on use of the device(s). Once per patient. CY 2026 rules let it bill with 2 days of device data, but willowbridge does not bill the short-cycle RTM codes, so it bills 98975 on the first 30-day cycle that reaches 16 days, alongside 98976.
  RequirementsDevice set up and patient educated; the first cycle with ≥ 16 days of device data.
• 98976RTM device supply with scheduled recording / programmed alert transmission to monitor respiratory system, each 30 days.
  Requirements≥ 16 days of device data transmitted within the 30-day cycle.
• 98980RTM treatment management, first 20 minutes of clinical staff/QHP time per calendar month, with interactive communication.
  Requirements≥ 20 min management time in the cycle AND ≥ 1 interactive communication.
• 98981RTM treatment management, each additional 20 minutes (list separately in addition to 98980).
  RequirementsAdd-on to 98980; each additional full 20 min — willowbridge bills two at most (40 and 60 minutes).

Documentation required every cycle

Each 30-day cycle must show:

1. Device certification — device, type, serial on file.
2. ≥ 16 days of device data transmitted within the cycle (gates 98976, and the one-time 98975 on the first cycle that reaches it).
3. Interactive communication log — at least one live, real-time conversation (a phone call counts) with the patient/caregiver in the cycle (gates 98980/98981). Time on a secure message or a patient case counts toward the management minutes, but never as this conversation.
4. Device-data snapshot for the cycle (readings evidence).
5. Patient consent with copay disclosure on file.
6. Billing-provider sign-off.
7. Signed care plan. RTM is not exempt: a cycle whose care plan has never been signed voids at the freeze.

Built-in patient consentwillowbridge exclusive

Every program ships with compliant, CY-2026 patient consent language — read verbatim into the in-app consent capture flow, captured with date + modality, and version-pinned to each claim, so the consent on file always matches the consent that was billed. No more chasing signatures or re-papering when the rule changes.