Updated for 2026 CPT codes

RTM Billing for Vestibular Rehabilitation

Remote Therapeutic Monitoring lets PTs, OTs, and SLPs bill for reviewing patient exercise data between visits. Vestibular rehab patients using a monitoring app can generate $110–150 per month in additional revenue per patient.

Last updated: February 2026 | Based on CMS 2024 Final Rule and 2026 CPT code updates

View CPT Code Breakdown How EyeRehab Supports RTM
Monthly RTM Revenue Per Patient
98975 Setup $19.73
98977 Device Supply $43.02
98980 Management $50.14
98981 Add'l 20 min $39.14
Monthly total ~$152

2025 Medicare rates. Setup billed once per episode. Actual reimbursement varies by payer and locality.

What Is Remote Therapeutic Monitoring?

RTM is a category of CPT codes that reimburse rehabilitation professionals for monitoring patient-generated therapeutic data outside of face-to-face visits.

RTM (98975–98985)

For rehabilitation professionals

  • Non-physiologic data — exercise adherence, symptom responses, functional outcomes
  • PTs, OTs, and SLPs can bill directly
  • Covers musculoskeletal and respiratory systems
  • Introduced by CMS in 2022, expanded in 2026

RPM (99453–99458)

For physicians and mid-levels

  • - Physiologic data — blood pressure, glucose, weight, oxygen saturation
  • - Generally limited to physicians, NPs, PAs
  • - Requires established patient relationship
  • - Requires FDA-designated medical devices

Why RTM matters for vestibular rehabilitation

Vestibular rehab depends on daily home exercises between clinic visits. Patients use an app to perform VOR, saccade, pursuit, and balance exercises at home — generating exactly the type of musculoskeletal therapeutic data that RTM codes reimburse you for monitoring. The data you already need for clinical decision-making is now billable.

RTM CPT Code Reference

Six codes across two categories: device supply and treatment management

Device Supply Codes

These codes cover the provision and ongoing supply of monitoring devices. They require a minimum number of data transmission days per 30-day period.

98975
Initial Setup

Device setup and patient education

Rate $19.73
Frequency Once per episode
Requires: 2+ days of monitoring
98977
Device Supply (16+ days)

MSK monitoring, scheduled recordings

Rate $43.02
Frequency Per 30-day period
Requires: 16–30 days of data transmission
New 2026
98985
Device Supply (2–15 days)

MSK monitoring, moderate compliance

Rate TBD
Frequency Per 30-day period
Requires: 2–15 days of data transmission

Treatment Management Codes

Time-based codes for reviewing patient data, making clinical decisions, and communicating with patients. The 16-day data requirement does not apply to these codes.

98980
Treatment Management

Data review + interactive communication

Rate $50.14
Frequency Per calendar month
Requires: 20+ min + 1 live communication
98981
Add'l Management (20 min)

Each additional 20-minute block

Rate $39.14
Frequency Per calendar month
Requires: Full additional 20 minutes
New 2026
98979
Partial Management

10–19 minutes of management

Rate TBD
Frequency Per calendar month
Requires: 10–19 min of review time

One practitioner per patient per 30-day period

CMS requires that only one clinician bills RTM codes 98977, 98980, and 98981 for a given patient during a 30-day period, even if multiple devices or providers are involved.

RTM Billing Requirements Checklist

What you need to meet each code's criteria

Device Supply (98977 / 98985)

  • Patient uses a monitoring device/app

    Device collects and transmits therapeutic data electronically

  • Minimum data transmission days met

    16+ days for 98977, or 2–15 days for 98985

  • Qualifying ICD-10 diagnosis

    H81.x, S06.x, R42, or other appropriate vestibular codes

Treatment Management (98980 / 98981)

  • 20+ minutes of clinical review time

    Reviewing data, analyzing trends, adjusting treatment plans

  • At least 1 interactive communication

    Phone or video call during the calendar month (texts and emails do not qualify)

  • Documentation of dates and minutes

    When you reviewed data, how long, what changes you made, and communication details

How EyeRehab Supports RTM Workflows

Patient data collection and provider review tools built for RTM compliance

Automatic Data Transmission

Each exercise session automatically records and transmits completion data, duration, difficulty level, and five pre/post symptom scores. This generates the data transmission days needed for 98977 and 98985 without any extra patient effort.

Provider Dashboard

The clinician portal shows patient activity, data transmission day counts, symptom trends, and exercise metrics — the data you review when billing 98980 treatment management time. Export progress reports as PDF or CSV for documentation.

RTM Billing Tracker

A dedicated RTM dashboard tracks each patient's data transmission days, management time, and communication logs against CPT code thresholds. See at a glance which codes are billable, which are close to threshold, and estimated revenue per patient each month.

Audit-Ready RTM Export

Export a per-patient, per-month RTM audit PDF with CPT code eligibility justification, itemized time logs, communication records, and session activity summary. Ready for payer submission without spreadsheets. Plus discharge reports, progress reports, and CSV data exports.

Typical RTM Workflow with EyeRehab

1

Onboard

Link patient in the portal, assign exercises, bill 98975 setup

2

Patient Exercises

Patient uses the app daily — each session generates a data transmission day

3

Review Data

Review patient dashboard, log review minutes, conduct monthly check-in call

4

Bill RTM Codes

Submit 98977/98985 for device supply + 98980/98981 for management time

RTM Revenue Potential

Additional monthly revenue from RTM billing, based on 2025 Medicare reimbursement rates

Scenario Patients Monthly per Patient Monthly Revenue
Conservative
Device supply + basic management only
10 ~$93 $930
Moderate
Full code stack (98977 + 98980 + one 98981)
15 ~$132 $1,980
Active practice
Full code stack including setup months
25 ~$152 $3,800

Based on 2025 Medicare national average rates. Commercial payer rates may differ. Setup code (98975) is billed once per episode and not included in monthly recurring totals. Assumes patient compliance sufficient for 98977 threshold.

Key Takeaways

  • RTM is distinct from RPM. RTM codes (98975–98985) cover therapeutic data and are available to PTs, OTs, and SLPs. RPM codes (99453–99458) cover physiologic data and are generally limited to physicians.
  • Treatment management codes do not require 16 days of data. CMS clarified that 98980 and 98981 are time-based — you need 20+ minutes of clinical review time plus one interactive communication.
  • 2026 codes expand billing opportunities. New codes 98985 (2–15 day device supply) and 98979 (10–19 min management) capture patients who previously fell below billing thresholds.
  • Vestibular rehabilitation is well-suited for RTM. Patients already perform structured home exercises daily. Adding app-based monitoring converts this into billable data transmission without changing the clinical workflow.

RTM Billing FAQ

Common questions about Remote Therapeutic Monitoring for vestibular rehabilitation

What is Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM)?
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring is a set of CPT codes (98975–98985) that allow physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists to bill for monitoring patients' musculoskeletal data outside of in-person visits. Unlike Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), which is limited to physiologic data like blood pressure and glucose, RTM covers non-physiologic therapeutic data — including exercise adherence, symptom responses, and functional outcomes. RTM was introduced by CMS in 2022 and has been expanded with new codes effective January 2026.
Can physical therapists bill RTM codes under Medicare?
Yes. CMS explicitly lists physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists as eligible billing providers for RTM codes 98975–98985. This is a distinction from RPM, which is generally limited to physicians and certain mid-level providers. However, you must comply with state scope-of-practice laws and verify that your specific payer covers RTM services, as commercial payer adoption varies.
What is the difference between RPM and RTM?
RPM (Remote Patient Monitoring) uses CPT codes 99453–99458 and covers physiologic data like vital signs, blood glucose, and weight — typically used by physicians. RTM (Remote Therapeutic Monitoring) uses CPT codes 98975–98985 and covers non-physiologic therapeutic data like exercise adherence, pain levels, and functional outcomes — available to rehabilitation professionals. The key difference for PTs is that RTM codes are specifically designed for the type of data rehab professionals already collect.
Do I need 16 days of data to bill CPT 98980 and 98981?
No. CMS clarified in the 2024 Final Rule that the 16-day data transmission requirement applies only to device supply codes (98977, 98985) — not to treatment management codes (98979, 98980, 98981). Treatment management codes are time-based: you need at least 20 minutes of data review and treatment management per patient per month for 98980, with at least one interactive communication (phone or video call). Additional 20-minute blocks can be billed under 98981.
What counts as an 'interactive communication' for RTM?
Per CMS guidance, interactive communication requires at minimum a real-time synchronous, two-way audio interaction that is capable of being enhanced with video or other kinds of data transmission. In practice, this means a phone call or video call with the patient or their caregiver. Text messages and emails do not qualify. At least one interactive communication must occur during the calendar month to bill CPT 98980.
What changed with the 2026 RTM code updates?
Effective January 2026, CMS introduced two new codes and adjusted thresholds. CPT 98985 covers device supply for 2–15 days of data transmission (filling the gap below the 16-day threshold of 98977). CPT 98979 covers 10–19 minutes of treatment management (below the 20-minute threshold of 98980). Additionally, the setup code 98975 now only requires 2 days of monitoring instead of 16. These changes allow billing for patients with moderate compliance who previously fell below thresholds.
What documentation do I need for RTM billing?
CMS requires documentation of: (1) date and minutes of data analysis for each patient, (2) date, duration, format (phone vs. video), and content of each interactive communication, and (3) any plan-of-care changes resulting from data analysis or patient interaction. The monitoring platform should automatically log data transmission days and session metrics. You are responsible for documenting your clinical review time and communications.
Can I bill RTM for vestibular rehabilitation patients?
Yes. RTM code 98977 specifically covers monitoring of the musculoskeletal system, and vestibular rehabilitation falls within this scope. The patient performs exercises at home using a monitoring device (the app), the app collects and transmits therapeutic data (session completion, symptom scores, exercise metrics), and you review this data to inform treatment decisions. This is precisely what RTM is designed for.
How much can I expect to earn from RTM per patient?
Under 2025 Medicare reimbursement rates: CPT 98975 (setup) pays $19.73 once per episode. CPT 98977 (device supply, 16+ days) pays $43.02 per 30-day period, or 98985 (2–15 days) at a reduced rate. CPT 98980 (first 20 min management) pays $50.14 per calendar month. CPT 98981 (additional 20 min) pays $39.14 per block. For an active patient, this can total approximately $110–150 per month in additional revenue beyond standard therapy visits.
Does the patient need a specific diagnosis for RTM?
RTM requires an appropriate ICD-10 diagnosis code tied to the monitored condition. For vestibular patients, common qualifying codes include H81.x (vestibular function disorders), H83.x (other diseases of inner ear), S06.x (intracranial injury/concussion sequelae), and R42 (dizziness and giddiness). The diagnosis must support the medical necessity of ongoing remote monitoring.

Sources and References

  1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "CY 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule." November 2023. Clarification that 16-day data transmission requirement does not apply to CPT 98980/98981.
  2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule." November 2025. Introduction of CPT 98985 and 98979; reduction of 98975 minimum to 2 days.
  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Billing for Remote Patient Monitoring." Telehealth.HHS.gov.
  4. American Physical Therapy Association. "APTA Practice Advisory: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring Codes Under Medicare." 2025.
  5. Limber Health. "Understanding RTM CPT 98981."
  6. Limber Health. "Remote Therapeutic Monitoring Billing: Tips and Best Practices."

Start Billing RTM for Your Vestibular Patients

EyeRehab handles the patient-side data collection. You focus on clinical review and treatment decisions — and bill for the time you already spend reviewing patient progress.

Learn About EyeRehab for PTs Contact for RTM Setup