CPT code 98980: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) Treatment Management, First 20 Minutes

Acquire information on documentation requirements and billing guidelines for CPT code 98980 in our short guide.

What is the 98980 CPT code?

CPT code 98980 represents the first 20 minutes of treatment management services for remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) over a 30-day period. Remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services include reviewing data from RTM devices and having at least one interactive communication with the parent or caregiver.

Note that RTM is different from Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM), which focuses on physiological data. RTM focuses on non-physiologic data such as:

Musculoskeletal system status
Respiratory system status
Therapy adherence
Therapy response

CPT code 98980 documentation requirements

For a successful billing of CPT code 98980, the following key elements must be present in the medical records:

Details on the RTM device, ensuring that it meets the FDA definition of a medical device
Summary of 20 minutes spent in treatment management, whether that's to review the remote therapeutic monitoring data or coordinate care with other healthcare providers
A summary of the interactive communication with the patient/caregiver, the date of communication, and the format
Medical necessity and goals of monitoring

Specify the service period (30 days) and the clinician performing the service.

CPT code 98980 billing guidelines

For appropriate reimbursement, healthcare providers must adhere to the following CPT 98980 billing guidelines:

Report once per 30-day period for the first 20 minutes of management.
Must include interactive communication (e.g., phone or video).
Follow-up code 98981 is used for additional time (20 minutes).
Cannot be billed if no data was collected or reviewed.
Verify provider type eligibility—RTM services codes are most often used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, physicians, and NPs.