Coding Update

CPT 2026 Short-Duration Remote Monitoring Codes

Six New RPM and RTM Codes Cover 2-to-15-Day Windows and a 10-Minute Management Tier

Rcmaxis Billing & Policy Update  ·  Posted October 27, 2026  ·  Effective: January 01, 2026

CMS's 2026 fee schedule adds six short-duration remote monitoring codes, covering device-supply periods as brief as 2 days and a new 10-minute management tier, alongside the existing 16-to-30-day codes.

Summary of the Code Changes

The CY2026 CPT code set adds a parallel short-duration track to Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM) and Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), covering 2-to-15-day data collection windows instead of the original 16-to-30-day standard. This doesn't replace the existing codes (99453/99454 for RPM device supply, 98975-98977 for RTM device supply); it adds a shorter-window option alongside them for monitoring episodes that don't run the full 30 days.

CPT CodeDescriptionNon-Facility PaymentFacility Payment
99445RPM, device supply with scheduled recording/transmission, 2-15 days$52.11$52.11
99470RPM treatment management, first 10 minutes$26.05$13.36
98984RTM device supply, respiratory system, 2-15 days$52.11$52.11
98985RTM device supply, musculoskeletal system, 2-15 days$51.44$51.44
98986RTM device supply, cognitive behavioral therapy, 2-15 daysContractor-pricedContractor-priced
98979RTM treatment management, first 10 minutes$26.39$11.36

Figures are the 2026 Medicare national unadjusted rate, calculated from the CMS 2026 Physician Fee Schedule relative value file (total RVU × the $33.4009 conversion factor). CPT 98986, the cognitive behavioral therapy device-supply code, carries no national RVU; like its 16-to-30-day counterpart 98978, it's priced individually by each Medicare Administrative Contractor rather than set nationally.

The existing 16-to-30-day codes aren't going anywhere. These six new codes exist specifically for monitoring episodes that genuinely run short, whether because a device malfunctioned, a patient's condition resolved early, or the clinical plan only called for a brief monitoring window. Billing the short-duration code for a monitoring period that actually ran the full 30 days, to bill sooner, isn't the intended use.

Action Required for Billing Teams

Update your charge master and EHR order sets to include all six new codes alongside the existing RPM/RTM codes, and make sure clinical and billing staff both understand the duration-based distinction, since the correct code depends entirely on how many days of data were actually collected and documented, not on which code is easiest to default to.

  • Add 99445, 99470, 98979, 98984-98986 to your fee schedule and EHR order sets. They coexist with 99453/99454 and 98975-98977, they don't replace them.
  • Document the actual monitoring window in days. The code selected has to match what was genuinely collected, 2-15 days versus 16-30 days.
  • Confirm your MAC's contractor-priced rate for 98986 before billing it. There's no national rate to default to.

Our RPM billing guide and RTM billing guide cover the broader documentation and time-threshold requirements these new short-duration codes sit alongside.

Verifiable References

  1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2026 National Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value File (RVU26D), October Release. cms.gov/files/zip/rvu26d.zip
  2. Telehealth.org. CPT 2026 Adds Remote Monitoring and AI Diagnostic Codes. telehealth.org/news/cpt-2026-adds-remote-monitoring-and-ai-diagnostic-codes
  3. Manatt Health. Proposed CY2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: Key Virtual Health Provisions. manatt.com/insights/newsletters/health-highlights

Related Resources

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