CMS has proposed several changes to Medicare payment rules for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) as part of the 2027 Physician Fee Schedule. Here are six key takeaways:
- Third-party vendor restrictions: Medicare would only reimburse RPM and RTM services when they are provided by clinical staff employed by the billing practice rather than contracted third-party vendors.
- Reason for the change: CMS says the proposal is intended to improve practitioner oversight, reduce fragmented care, and address compliance concerns identified in recent Office of Inspector General reports.
- Additional billing requirements: RPM services would be limited to established patients and require a separately billable initiating visit before monitoring services begin.
- Potential code changes: CMS is also seeking feedback on possible changes to how RPM services are billed, including whether certain monitoring codes should be bundled.
- Industry response: Some healthcare organizations have raised concerns that the proposal could reduce access to remote monitoring services, particularly for smaller and rural practices that rely on third-party vendors.
- Comment period and implementation: CMS is accepting public comments through September 14, 2026. If finalized, most provisions would take effect on January 1, 2027.
Practices that currently use outsourced RPM or RTM services should review the proposed rule and monitor future CMS updates to understand how these changes could affect their workflows and Medicare reimbursement.
Resource: CMS proposes ban on third-party remote patient monitoring: 6 notes