Reimbursement
$26.05
Threshold
10m
2026 Status
Active
What is CPT Code 98979?
CPT 98979 is defined as: Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) treatment management services provided by a physician or other qualified health care professional (QHP) during a calendar month. This code requires at least 10 minutes but no more than 19 minutes of time spent on the cumulative review and analysis of patient data and the development of a treatment plan. Crucially, at least one interactive communication (e.g., phone or video call) with the patient or caregiver during the month is mandatory.
This code is primarily used for RTM services. It falls under the category of Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) and is valid for the 2026 calendar year according to the CMS Physician Fee Schedule.
2026 RVU Components
Relative Value Units (Non-Facility)
Work RVU
0.31
Physician Effort
PE (Non-Fac)
0.44
Practice Expense
Malpractice
0.03
Risk Factor
Total RVU
0.78
Note: [(Work RVU * Work GPCI) + (PE RVU * PE GPCI) + (MP RVU * MP GPCI)] * Conversion Factor
2026 CMS Policy Intelligence
efficiency shield
Strategically exempt from the -2.5% efficiency adjustment. CMS classifies RTM as a 'care management' service, protecting its Work RVU to encourage digital health adoption.
granular management
The 2026 rule emphasizes the use of 98979 as a way to capture clinical effort for patients who are stable but still require monthly professional monitoring.
conversion factor
Utilizes the 2026 Non-QP baseline of $33.40.
Administrative Framework
Place of Service
Key Modifiers
Operational Requirements
time threshold
Requires a minimum of 10 minutes and a maximum of 19 minutes of professional time per calendar month.
interactive communication
At least one synchronous (live) communication with the patient or caregiver is mandatory to bill 98979. Data review alone is insufficient.
provider only
Coded for physician or QHP (NP/PA/PT/OT/SLP) time. Clinical staff time (e.g., MA or RN) does NOT count toward 98979.
frequency
Reported once per calendar month.
Compliance Checklist
Audit Defense
No specific audit defense elements defined.
2026 Update
Exempt from the mandatory -2.5% efficiency cut. Interactive communication is a hard requirement.
Common Clinical Scenarios
No clinical examples provided.
Target Specialties & Utilization
Typical Clinical Indications (ICD-10)
Frequently Asked Questions
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