The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule. Included in this were several important changes to Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), which will be effective as of January 2026. The full final rule can be accessed through the Federal Register.
Ultimately, these changes lower eligibility thresholds, introduce new code options, and create more practical reimbursement pathways for shorter-duration remote monitoring and patient management. For organizations already investing in remote recovery and digital patient engagement, these updates strengthen both the clinical and financial case for RTM adoption and deployment.
What Are the New RTM Codes for 2026?
CMS has finalized the addition of two new CPT codes designed to fill gaps in the RTM structure. In the past, qualifying for RTM reimbursement necessitated at least 16 days of data collection and 20 minutes of provider management time. These criteria effectively excluded a wide range of patients for which less data collection and shorter management times would be clinically appropriate, including some musculoskeletal cases.
Starting in January 2026, two new RTM CPT codes will be available:
- 98985: Remote therapeutic monitoring (eg, therapy adherence, therapy response, digital therapeutic intervention); device(s) supply for data access or data transmissions to support monitoring of musculoskeletal system, 2-15 days in a 30-day period.
- 98979: Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician or other qualified healthcare professional time in a calendar month requiring at least 1 real-time interactive communication with the patient or caregiver during the calendar month; first 10 minutes.
These additions complement the existing 16–30 day device code (98977) and the 20-minute treatment management codes (98980/98981), giving clinicians a more practical framework that is better aligned with real-world patient engagement patterns.
Below is a table (created based on information in the CMS MPFS final rule) that shows all RTM codes for MSK conditions that will be available as of January 2026:
Additional RTM Clarifications
As previously indicated in the proposed rule, CMS considers all RTM codes as part of the New Technology List. This means that these codes will remain in effect until April 2030, at which time the available data will be reviewed to determine if any changes or updates are required.
In addition, CMS has clarified that it is adopting the CPT code book language surrounding the requirements for at least one real-time, interactive communication with the patient or caregiver for RTM treatment management codes. This language states that the codes in question “require a live, interactive communication with the patient/caregiver. The interactive communication contributes to the total time, but it does not need to represent the entire cumulative reported time of the treatment management service.’’ CMS notes that it is not adding any additional exclusions for the types of communication that this entails.
This means that audio-only communication, digital or mobile-based communication, and any bidirectional communication that meets the live criteria would fulfill this requirement, so long as there is no double counting of time across different services or across remote and in-person settings.
Finally, CMS noted that the “sometimes therapy” designation applies to codes 98979 and 98985 depending on what provider role is furnishing the service. Additionally, CMS reiterated that the updated RTM codes remain non-additive, meaning providers can only bill one device supply code each 30-day period and one base code per month for treatment management codes.
How Does This Impact Remote MSK Care
The final CY 2026 MPFS rule updates significantly bolster the practicality of RTM for musculoskeletal postoperative care. By lowering required monitoring thresholds and recognizing shorter, clinically meaningful touch points, CMS has removed barriers that frequently excluded patients who needed only brief periods of oversight or whose engagement varied during recovery.
These changes align the reimbursement framework with real-world MSK recovery patterns, where patients often experience concentrated phases of symptoms, questions, or functional decline that benefit from targeted intervention rather than month-long monitoring. The expanded code set gives providers flexibility to deliver the right level of support at the right time, whether that’s a short episode of postoperative monitoring, a transitional check-in during rehabilitation, or additional oversight for high-risk patients.
How Force Therapeutics Supports Your RTM Program
Force Therapeutics is built to help hospitals and health systems operationalize RTM efficiently and compliantly within existing care workflows. Our award-winning RTM features, including in-platform timers, automated patient enrollment, structured digital care pathways, and clinically validated patient engagement tools, ensure that care teams can seamlessly capture the data and touchpoints required for RTM billing without adding administrative burden. The platform’s documentation and timestamped interaction logs provide teams with defensible audit trails to confidently inform decision making. Tune in to this episode of AAHKS Amplified to learn more.
Together, these capabilities allow your organization to integrate RTM into hybrid care models, ensuring patients receive they care they need and supporting reimbursement opportunities, all while maintaining high standards of quality, compliance, and operational efficiency.
Request a product demonstration to learn how your RTM program can use Force:
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