Part of Remote Therapeutic Monitoring
CPT 98980: RTM treatment management, first 20 minutes
First 20 minutes per calendar month of practitioner time reviewing RTM data and communicating with the patient.
Time threshold & code combinations
First 20 minutes of treatment management time, plus at least one interactive communication with the patient or caregiver, per calendar month.
- 98981 is the add-on for each additional 20 minutes beyond this threshold
- Mutually exclusive with 98979 for the same month
Who can bill
- Physicians and non-physician practitioners who can bill E/M services
- Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists furnishing RTM under a therapy plan of care
Eligibility & billing requirements
- Active RTM episode with data being collected during the month
- At least one interactive, real-time communication with the patient or caregiver during the month
- Time spent reviewing data and adjusting the treatment plan
When to use it
Monthly rehab progress review
A physical therapist-supervising physician spends 20 minutes reviewing a month of exercise adherence data and calls the patient to adjust the home exercise program.
Billing: 98980
Documentation checklist
- Time log showing at least 20 minutes
- Record of the interactive communication (date, method, summary)
Common billing mistakes
- Billing 98980 without any interactive communication that month
- Assuming only physicians and E/M-eligible practitioners can bill this code, PTs, OTs, and SLPs can also bill it under the applicable therapy benefit rules