CPT Code 98979: What It Means and How to Use It

With the 2026 launch of CPT code 98979, organizations can expand their remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) programs and more accurately capture the treatment-related communication that happens between visits. The new code introduces the necessary flexibility to the RTM billing structure by allowing providers to bill for shorter durations of interactive treatment management each month. This shorter time threshold supports more scalable digital care models and helps clinicians recognize meaningful touchpoints that previously fell below the billing minimum.

In this article, we’ll break down how CPT 98979 works, clarify CMS and AMA requirements for interactive communication, outline documentation and supervision expectations, and walk through a real world example of how this code can be used in practice.

How CPT 98979 fits into the RTM framework

CPT 98979 is part of the RTM family of codes that support the monitoring of non-physiologic data, including therapy adherence, symptom reporting, and functional progress. RTM is commonly used in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral health settings to help clinicians understand how patients are doing between visits.

Beginning in 2026, CPT 98979 allows billing when:^1,2

• A physician or other qualified health care professional spends 10 to 19 minutes in a calendar month on RTM treatment management.

• Providers complete at least one live, interactive communication with the patient or caregiver.

• Clinical decisions are made based on RTM data, such as modifying the home exercise program or updating the plan of care.

If the total time reaches 20 to 39 minutes, CPT 98980 is billed instead. Additional 20-minute increments can be billed using 98981.²

CMS clarified that these codes are not additive. Providers must choose the single most accurate code for the total time spent that month.¹

2026 RTM Cheat Sheet for PT and OT Clinicians

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Billing, documentation, and supervision requirements

1. Time and communication requirements

• Time threshold: Providers must spend 10 to 19 minutes of professional time on RTM treatment management during the calendar month.²

• Interaction communication requirement: CMS clarifies that CPT codes 98979, 98980, and 98981 require a “live, interactive communication” with the patient or caregiver. This may include audio-only telephone calls, but does not include secure messaging, email, asynchronous chat, automated messaging, or AI-generated prompts.¹ 

  • CMS also notes that in-clinic discussions may qualify, as long as time is not counted toward another billed service.¹

• Code selection: CPT 98979 cannot be billed in the same month as 98980. Providers should select the single code that reflects the total cumulative treatment management time by month-end.¹

2. Documentation expectations

To bill CPT 98979 compliantly, providers should clearly document all elements of the RTM treatment management service. This includes:

• The RTM data reviewed, such as adherence trends, symptom reports, or patient-recorded functional changes.

• The date, time, and mode of the required live, interactive communication with the patient or caregiver.¹

• Any clinical decisions or updates to the plan of care made in response to the data—including exercise progressions, regressions, dosing changes, or symptom-management strategies.³

• The cumulative total minutes spent on treatment management activities throughout the calendar month.

• Patient consent for RTM services, documented once per episode of care (best practice per APTA guidance).³

All RTM documentation should connect directly to an active therapy plan of care and reflect that the service is clinically indicated, supports established goals, and is ordered or furnished by a qualified provider.

3. Supervision and modifier use

CPT codes 98975, 98979, 98980, and 98981 may be furnished under general supervision, allowing PTs and OTs to delegate components of RTM services to physical therapist assistants (PTAs) or occupational therapy assistants (COTAs).¹

When a PTA or COTA contributes to any portion of the RTM service:¹

• The claim must include the appropriate CQ modifier (for PTAs) or CO modifier (for COTAs) to indicate that the service was furnished in whole or in part by an assistant.

• Because RTM treatment management codes are designated by CMS as “sometimes therapy” services, the GP (PT) or GO (OT) therapy modifier must also be applied when the service is furnished under a therapy plan of care.

• Claims that include CQ or CO modifiers are subject to Medicare’s assistant payment differential, applied when the 10% de minimis standard is met.

Example: using CPT 98979 in practice

Scenario: A patient recovering from total knee arthroplasty is discharged with a prescribed home exercise program (HEP). The physical therapy clinic enrolls the patient in an RTM program using a digital platform that tracks adherence and patient-reported pain levels between visits.

Workflow example

1. Initial onboarding (CPT 98975)

The physical therapist educates the patient on how the RTM platform works, obtains consent, and activates data tracking for adherence and symptom reporting.

2. Data collection period

Over the first two weeks, the patient completes their HEP and logs pain levels and functional symptoms. The RTM platform aggregates this information and sends the data to the clinician’s dashboard.

3. Treatment management (CPT 98979)

During a routine data review, the PT observes decreased adherence and increasing discomfort. To address this, the PT conducts a 13-minute live, interactive communication with the patient¹ to:

• Discuss barriers to adherence.

• Review pain trends.

• Adjust exercise dosage and frequency.

• Provide strategies to improve comfort and engagement.

4. Documentation 

• Summaries of the patient’s RTM-reported adherence and symptom trends.

• The date, time, and mode of the interactive communication.

• Specific updates to the HEP and plan of care based on the data.

• Total treatment management minutes accumulated for the month.

5. Billing

Because the PT spent 13 minutes on RTM treatment management and completed at least one live, interactive communication, the clinic bills CPT 98979 for the month.

If the cumulative time had reached 20 minutes or more, the appropriate code would be CPT 98980 instead.

Bringing it all together

CPT code 98979 adds a more flexible option for billing remote therapeutic monitoring beginning in 2026. By allowing providers to capture 10 to 19 minutes of treatment management—paired with a required live, interactive communication—the code supports more agile and frequent patient engagement across the month. 

To bill 98979 compliantly, documentation must clearly reflect the RTM data reviewed, the timing and nature of patient interactions, and the clinical decisions informed by that information. Teams should also be familiar with supervision requirements, appropriate use of the CQ/CO modifiers, and the mutually exclusive billing relationship between CPT codes 98979 and 98980.

When implemented effectively, 98979 can help organizations deliver more responsive digital care for patients with musculoskeletal, neurologic, and other chronic therapy needs—strengthening continuity between visits and supporting better long-term outcomes.

For organizations looking to operationalize RTM at scale, Medbridge One Care offers a fully integrated digital care platform that supports remote monitoring, patient-reported outcomes, engagement tracking, and plan-of-care adjustments—all in one place. By connecting clinicians and patients through guided digital pathways, One Care enables smarter workflows, better outcomes, and seamless documentation to support compliant use of codes like 98975 and 98979.

The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is not meant to be interpreted as billing or legal advice. Please consult with your payors and their policies for more information on your requirements for this service. Information provided is sourced from the 2025 APTA Practice Advisory and the 2026 AMA CPT Manual, Professional Edition. 

References

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (CMS–1784–F). Federal Register Document No. 2025–19787. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/05/2025-19787/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2026-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other

2. American Medical Association. (2024). CPT® 2026 Professional Edition. Chicago, IL: AMA Press.

3. American Physical Therapy Association. (2025). Practice Advisory: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) Codes. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/contentassets/95321a10e951408db650e2f19b96699f/apta-practice-advisory-rtm-codes032023.pdf