Remote Patient Monitoring: Medicare Proposes Two Major Expansions

CMS proposed two significant changes to remote patient monitoring (RPM) services reimbursed under the Medicare program. The changes, part of the proposed 202 Physician Fee Schedule, have been hotly anticipated by digital health providers hoping to see more clarity and flexibility for RPM services.

Industry insiders advocated for changing the RPM rules to expressly allow the incident to the billing of RPM under general supervision and CMS concurred. Under the proposed rule, RPM services reported with CPT codes 99457 and 994X0 may now be furnished under general supervision rather than the currently required direct supervision. The physician or other qualified healthcare professional supervising the auxiliary personnel need not be the same individual treating the patient more broadly. However, only the supervising physician or other qualified health care professional may bill Medicare for the incident to services.