TL;DR
RTM reporting refers to two things: submitting Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT codes on claims and generating the documentation that proves each code’s requirements were met. The 2026 CMS updates added new codes (98985, 98979) that lower billing thresholds, making RTM accessible to more rehab practices. Getting RTM reporting right means tracking data-transmission days, logging time with timestamps, and documenting at least one interactive communication per month for treatment management codes.
See RTM-ready pricing plans to understand how automation fits your clinic’s workflow.
What Is RTM Reporting?
“RTM reporting” carries two meanings that overlap in practice, and understanding both is essential for any rehabilitation provider billing these codes.
The first meaning is code reporting, the technical act of submitting RTM CPT codes (98975, 98977, 98980, and others) on a CMS-1500 claim form. CMS itself uses “report” this way in its guidance, as in “report 98977 after the patient has been monitored for 16-30 days.”
The second meaning is documentation reporting, the process of generating audit-ready records that prove each code’s billing thresholds were actually met. This includes data-day logs, time-tracking records, interactive communication notes, and clinical decision-making narratives.
No competing page in the search results actually defines “RTM reporting” as a standalone term. Most guides explain RTM broadly and mention reporting in passing. But for physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and chiropractors, getting RTM reporting right on both fronts is what separates reimbursable care from denied claims and audit exposure.
Remote therapeutic monitoring allows clinicians to track non-physiological patient data between visits, things like musculoskeletal status, therapy adherence, pain levels, and respiratory function. Unlike Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), which covers physiological data like blood pressure and heart rate, RTM is one of the few CMS remote care programs that extends billing eligibility to therapists, not just physicians.
RTM CPT Codes for 2026: Quick-Reference Table
The 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule expanded RTM significantly. Three new codes (98985, 98979, 98984) lowered the minimum billing thresholds, eliminating what many providers called the “all-or-nothing revenue cliff.” Here are the MSK-relevant codes rehab providers need to know for RTM reporting:
| Code | Description | Key Threshold | ~2026 Reimbursement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98975 | Initial setup and patient education | Once per episode of care; 2+ days monitoring | ~$22 |
| 98985 (NEW) | Device supply, MSK, 2-15 days | 2-15 data days in 30-day period | ~$51 |
| 98977 | Device supply, MSK, 16-30 days | 16-30 data days in 30-day period | ~$40 |
| 98979 (NEW) | Treatment management, 10-19 min | 10-19 min + 1 interactive communication | ~$26 |
| 98980 | Treatment management, first 20 min | 20+ min + 1 interactive communication | ~$54 |
| 98981 | Treatment management, each add’l 20 min | Add-on to 98980 only | ~$41 |
Sources: Nsight Health 2026 RTM billing guide, 247 Medical Billing RTM rates
Critical Mutual Exclusion Rules
These are the biggest source of RTM reporting errors:
- 98985 and 98977 cannot be billed together for the same patient in the same 30-day period. A patient either has 2-15 data days (98985) or 16-30 data days (98977), never both.
- 98979 and 98980 cannot be billed together in the same month. The treatment management time either falls in the 10-19 minute range (98979) or hits 20+ minutes (98980).
- RTM and RPM are mutually exclusive for the same patient in the same calendar month.
If you want to see how an RTM workflow integrates into daily clinic operations, that context helps clarify when each code applies.
Why the 2026 Changes Matter for RTM Reporting
Before 2026, therapists needed at least 16 days of data transmission within a 30-day window to bill the device supply code 98977. In practice, that was a high bar. Patients forget to sync their devices, go on vacation, or struggle with technology. Many practitioners report that patient compliance is their single biggest RTM challenge. Missing the 16-day threshold meant zero reimbursement for an entire month of monitoring effort.
The new 98985 code (2-15 data days) and 98979 code (10-19 minutes of management time) changed the math entirely. A practice managing 100 MSK patients on full-engagement RTM (98977 + 98980) generates approximately $10,500 per month, or $126,000 per year. Adding the new lower tier for 50 patients who previously fell below the billing threshold recovers roughly $3,850 per month in revenue that was previously lost.
All RTM codes remain on the CMS New Technology List through April 2030, signaling ongoing institutional support even as CMS monitors utilization data.
What You Must Document for Compliant RTM Reporting
This is where most clinics struggle, and where audit risk concentrates. RTM is a reimbursable skilled therapy service, but only when documentation clearly demonstrates clinical intent, decision-making, and patient impact. Because RTM codes reimburse for care delivered outside the clinic walls, documentation must go beyond noting that data was collected.
Here is the documentation checklist for defensible RTM reporting:
Setup and Consent (98975)
- Patient consent for RTM services
- Education and training provided to the patient or caregiver on device use
- Whether the clinic provided the device or the patient had their own
- RTM platform name and description
Device Supply / Data Days (98985 or 98977)
- Number of data-transmission days within the 30-day period
- System-generated logs with timestamps (not staff self-attestation)
- Type of data collected: signs, symptoms, compliance, therapeutic response
Treatment Management (98979, 98980, 98981)
- Date, provider or staff name, activities performed, and time spent
- Start and stop timestamps for every management session
- At least one interactive communication documented per calendar month
- Clinical decision-making narrative tied to the plan of care
- ICD-10 codes linked to the therapy plan (use specific codes like M54.51, not unspecified M54.5)
Modifier Requirements
- GP (PT), GO (OT), or GN (SLP) modifier on all therapist-billed RTM codes
- CQ or CO modifier when a PTA or OTA provides the service in whole or in part
One important point: if your platform cannot produce a timestamped, system-generated log of the specific days data transmitted, you cannot defend the claim. “The patient told us they used it 12 days” does not satisfy the requirement. The time therapists spend on administrative tasks is already a pain point, which makes automated documentation tracking not a luxury but a practical necessity.
RTM Reporting vs. RPM Reporting
Providers frequently confuse these two programs. The differences matter for billing compliance.
Data type: RPM covers physiological data (heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature). RTM covers non-physiological data like pain levels, medication adherence, musculoskeletal function, and therapy compliance.
Device requirements: RPM requires automatic data upload from a medical device. RTM permits patient self-reporting through software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) tools, making it more flexible for rehab settings.
Provider eligibility: RPM is physician-centric. RTM extends billing eligibility to PTs, OTs, SLPs, respiratory therapists, and cognitive behavioral therapists.
Billing rule: You cannot bill both RTM and RPM for the same patient in the same calendar month. They are mutually exclusive per CMS policy.
Common RTM Reporting Mistakes
Audit frequency is projected to increase from 8% to 12-15% annually in 2026. These are the mistakes that put clinics at risk:
- Billing 98985 and 98977 together. Mutually exclusive codes for the same patient in the same period.
- Billing 98979 and 98980 together. Also mutually exclusive. Pick the one that matches actual time spent.
- Missing the GP/GO/GN modifier. Every therapist-billed RTM claim needs the appropriate therapy modifier.
- No documented plan of care on file. RTM services must connect to an active therapy plan with specific ICD-10 codes.
- No interactive communication logged. Codes 98979, 98980, and 98981 require at least one real-time, synchronous, two-way audio interaction per month. Texting and email do not count. It must be a phone call or video call at minimum.
- Time documentation without timestamps. Vague entries like “reviewed data, 20 minutes” are not defensible. Record start and stop times.
- Using unspecified ICD-10 codes. Coding M54.5 instead of M54.51 (right-sided low back pain) signals sloppy documentation and invites scrutiny.
Practitioners on LinkedIn and industry forums have raised concerns about clinics generating RTM codes from automated messages with no therapist involvement or clinical oversight. As one industry commentator noted, that is billing strategy, not care. The more RTM is used to pad productivity metrics, the more likely it attracts audits and restrictions that hurt responsible providers.
Improving patient engagement strategies is a more sustainable path to hitting data-day thresholds than hoping patients comply on their own.
How RTM Reporting Software Helps
Manual RTM reporting, tracking data days on spreadsheets, logging time on paper, generating reports by hand, breaks down at scale. This is especially true now that 2026 introduced tiered thresholds that require tracking whether each patient falls into the 2-15 day or 16-30 day bucket.
RTM reporting platforms automate the hard parts:
- Automated data-day tracking that counts transmission days and alerts staff when thresholds are approaching
- Built-in time logging with start/stop timestamps that satisfy audit requirements
- Code-state visual cues showing whether each patient is billable, approaching a threshold, or below minimum
- One-click report generation that produces documentation attachable to CMS-1500 claims
AC Health, for example, supports CPT codes 98975, 98977, 98980, and 98981 with 16-day automatic updates, code-state visual cues, and one-click report generation. RTM is available in the Unlimited tier ($45/month) with no revenue share on billing. You can explore how the platform handles automated RTM updates or review clinic case studies showing real-world results.
Schedule a demo with the AC Health team to see RTM reporting automation in action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “RTM reporting” mean?
RTM reporting refers to two things: submitting Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT codes on claims (code reporting) and generating the audit-ready documentation that proves each code’s requirements were met (documentation reporting). Both are necessary for compliant billing.
Which CPT codes are used in RTM reporting for 2026?
The primary MSK codes are 98975 (setup), 98985 (device supply, 2-15 days), 98977 (device supply, 16-30 days), 98979 (treatment management, 10-19 min), 98980 (treatment management, 20+ min), and 98981 (each additional 20 min). The 2026 fee schedule added 98985 and 98979 as new lower-threshold options.
Can physical therapists bill RTM codes?
Yes. RTM is one of the few CMS remote care programs that extends billing eligibility to PTs, OTs, SLPs, and other qualified healthcare practitioners, not just physicians. Therapists must append the appropriate modifier (GP, GO, or GN) to each claim.
What counts as an “interactive communication” for RTM?
CMS defines interactive communication as a real-time, synchronous, two-way audio interaction capable of being enhanced with video or other data transmission. In practical terms, this means a phone call or video call. Text messages and emails do not qualify.
Can I bill RTM and RPM for the same patient in the same month?
No. RTM and RPM are mutually exclusive for the same patient in the same calendar month. RTM covers non-physiological data while RPM covers physiological data, and CMS does not allow both to be billed simultaneously.
What happens if my patient only transmits data for 10 days in a month?
Before 2026, that patient would generate zero revenue because the minimum threshold was 16 days. Now you can report code 98985, which covers 2-15 data days at approximately $51 reimbursement. This tiered approach recovers revenue that was previously lost to patient non-compliance.
How often are RTM claims audited?
Audit frequency for RTM is projected to increase from roughly 8% to 12-15% annually in 2026. System-generated timestamps and documentation logs are critical for defending claims during a payer review or appeal.
Is RTM reporting permanent or temporary?
All RTM codes remain on the CMS New Technology List through April 2030. CMS will review utilization data at that point to determine whether adjustments are needed, but the program has strong institutional support and has expanded every year since its 2022 launch.
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