Remote Therapeutic Monitoring

Telehealth is the future. As experienced through the recent COVID-19 crisis; remote care is no longer a future possibility for the healthcare space, but a necessity to maximize the experience for patients and healthcare professionals. The Remote Therapeutic Monitoring program is part of remote monitoring and continues advancing the use of digital health tools to give healthcare professionals a more comprehensive data set of their patients’ health conditions.

What is Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM)

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) is a family of five CPT codes, including three Practice Expense (PE)-only CPT codes and two CPT codes that include professional work. RTM CPT codes are similar with Remote Physiological Monitoring (RPM) CPT codes. For example, the Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT codes reflect similar staff and physician work, although the specific equipment used is different because the data being monitored are non-physiologic rather than physiologic as they are with RPM.

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) program different from Remote Patient Monitoring Program (RPM)

While there are notable similarities between the two sets of CPT code descriptors, there are two primary differences:

•
The primary billers of Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) CPT codes are projected to be physiatrists, NPs, and physical therapists.
•
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) program - the nature of the data to be collected and how the data are collected.

According to the CPT code descriptors, Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) CPT codes monitor health conditions, including musculoskeletal system status, respiratory system status, therapy (for example, medication) adherence, and therapy (for example, medication) response, and as such, allow non-physiologic data to be collected. Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) data can be patient reported, as well as digitally uploaded while Remote Patient Monitoring Program requires that data be physiologic and be digitally uploaded.
Both sets of codes, the device used must meet the FDA definition of a device as described in section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).
Remote Patient Monitoring Program (RPM) services are considered to be Evaluation and Management (E/M) services, and physical therapists, for example, are not permitted to furnish E/M services.

Benefits

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), done right, is the best way to increase your practice revenue, decrease hospital readmissions, along with increase patients’ satisfaction.

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring Billing CPT Codes

The general medicine codes, these CPT codes can be billed by physicians and other qualified health care professionals. The five Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) CPT codes will be designated as "sometimes therapy" codes, which means that the services can be billed outside a therapy plan of care by a physician and certain NPPs, but only when appropriate.

•
CPT code 98980 - Remote Therapeutic Monitoring treatment management services, physician/ other qualified health care professional time in a calendar month requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar month; first 20 minutes
•
CPT code 98981 - Remote Therapeutic monitoring treatment management services, physician/other qualified health care professional time in a calendar month requiring at least one interactive communication with the patient/caregiver during the calendar month; each additional 20 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
•
CPT code 98975 - Remote Therapeutic monitoring (e.g., respiratory system status, musculoskeletal system status, therapy adherence, therapy response); initial set-up and patient education on use of equipment
•
CPT code 98976 - Remote therapeutic monitoring (e.g., respiratory system status, musculoskeletal system status, therapy adherence, therapy response); device(s) supply with scheduled (e.g., daily) recording(s) and/or programmed alert(s) transmission to monitor respiratory system, each 30 days
•
CPT code 98977 - Remote therapeutic monitoring (e.g., respiratory system status, musculoskeletal system status, therapy adherence, therapy response); device(s) supply with scheduled (e.g., daily) recording(s) and/or programmed alert(s) transmission to monitor musculoskeletal system, each 30 days

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring Reimbursement

With financial reimbursement available to support remote care, providers can use the referenced CPT codes to implement and scale Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) programs.

How Can We Help

It has never been more important to improve your patients’ outcomes, especially to decrease readmissions. There are a lot of questions about Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) implementation including required elements, billing, software, staff, and more. Dr. Koyfman has been consulting large and small companies on RPM. Click here to schedule introduction call @ https://calendly.com/dr_irina/30min

Testimonials

Dr. Irina Koyfman helped implement Chronic Care Management Services for my practice - home-based primary care practice. I was not aware of CCM prior and was not billing for all the services I was providing for my patients between visits. Ever since I have implemented what Dr. Koyfman had suggested, I have been able to spend more time with my complex patients, increased my revenue, increased patient satisfaction and overall, I increased my work-life balance. I recommend every primary care provider implementing CCM and hiring Irina as a very capable consultant.

Slava K, Nurse Practitioner, President, Maryland.

Dr. Irina Koyfman Irina has been providing consulting services to ChronWell on Chronic Care Management program for several months. From the very first interaction, it is obvious that her goal as a consultant is to delight the customer and bring value every step of the way. She is knowledgeable, innovative, thinks outside the box, is quick to grasp the context of the organization and provide relevant guidance. She brings a unique blend of business savvy and clinical expertise.

Marina S, VP or Product Management, Florida.

Dr. Koyfman had helped to implement Remote Patient Monitoring Program in my practice, for which I am very grateful. Dr. Koyfman has a way to explain complex issues, so I could understand and quickly implement them. She also told me about few things that I could add (annual wellness visits and cognitive assessments and care plans) and immediately I was able to do so. Dr. Irina Koyfman is generous with sharing her knowledge. I paid for RPM but received so much more.

Vicky, B. NP CEO, Maryland.

Dr. Irina Koyfman came to my mother’s house to assess her cognitive status and she was able to shade light on her diagnosis of moderate dementia and helped us with understanding of the disease progression, treatments, resources, and plan for the future. Dr. Koyfman was very kind with my mother, she was patient with us and we just loved her bed-side manner and her knowledge. Although, it is not easy to know that your mother is not well, but it is very helpful to have someone like Dr. Koyfman on our side.

Lyudmila, daugther of a patient, Maryland.

Questions about patient monitoring program? Dr. Irina Koyfman has the RPM answers!