RTMTherapyMedicare

RTM for PTs, OTs and SLPs: The Monitoring Revenue Therapy Practices Have Been Waiting For

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring is the only Medicare monitoring program where physical, occupational and speech-language therapists bill directly. Here's how it actually works.

ZOC Medical Clinical Team Jul 31, 2026 7 min read

Physical therapist reviewing a patient's home exercise data on a tablet

If you run a therapy practice, RTM is the single biggest reimbursement shift you may not be capturing yet. It pays $77–$135 per patient per month, uses your existing therapy plan of care, and — critically — is billable by the therapist who's actually managing the patient. No physician co-signature required.

What RTM covers that RPM doesn't

RPM (Remote Patient Monitoring) tracks physiologic data — blood pressure, glucose, weight, SpO₂. RTM (Remote Therapeutic Monitoring) tracks non-physiologic therapy data — musculoskeletal function, respiratory metrics, medication adherence, and cognitive-behavioral responses. That distinction opens billing to a whole class of providers who don't order physiologic devices day-to-day: physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists.

The four CPT codes to know

98975 — Initial setup and patient education (once per episode of care). 98976 — Device supply for respiratory system monitoring, per 30 days. 98977 — Device supply for musculoskeletal monitoring, per 30 days. 98980/98981 — Treatment management services (≥ 20 min/month, then each additional 20 min). The device codes are billed monthly as long as the patient uses the device for ≥ 16 days that month (or ≥ 2 days for partial credit).

Who qualifies as a Medicare patient for RTM

Any Medicare beneficiary with a therapy-related need — post-surgical rehabilitation, chronic musculoskeletal pain, COPD or other respiratory conditions, or cognitive-behavioral therapy needs — where remote monitoring augments an active therapy plan of care. The plan of care must document the medical necessity and the monitoring role.

The exclusivity you can't miss

RTM and RPM cannot be billed for the same patient in the same month. Choose one based on the primary data being monitored — physiologic (RPM) or therapeutic (RTM). RTM does stack cleanly with APCM and CCM, so for a therapy patient with chronic disease you can generate significant coordinated reimbursement across programs.

How to launch RTM in a therapy practice

Start with a single condition category — post-surgical MSK is the easiest — and one connected-device workflow. Identify the ~30% of your active caseload that fits the criteria. Roll out written annual consent, connect the device supplier, and log the 20-minute treatment management interactions monthly. Software matters here: without automated day-count tracking on the device data, you'll spend more time in Excel than in the clinic.

The economics

A PT practice with 100 active RTM-eligible patients, run cleanly with 98977 + 98980 monthly, generates roughly $8,000–$11,000 per month in RTM revenue alone — before RPM referrals from physician partners, before any co-treatment revenue lift, and before the retention effect of patients who feel actively managed between visits. Run the numbers for your practice in our Sustainability Planner or take the Fit Quiz to see whether RTM should be in your first-90-day launch plan.

See how ZOC pairs the platform with a clinical team to run this — on your panel, under your name.

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