Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a growing field in the medical industry. This technology allows healthcare providers to monitor patients’ vital signs and other health metrics from a distance. RPM has many benefits, including improved patient care, reduced costs, and increased efficiency. This blog post will discuss remote patient monitoring cpt codes and what you need to know about them. Stay tuned for more information!
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have released new CPT codes for remote patient monitoring (RPM). These codes can be used for services rendered between January 2020 and December 2021. Here’s what you need to know about the new RPM codes.
There are four new RPM codes:
990901: Initial set-up and patient education on the use of equipment
990902: Collection and transmittal of patient data for remote interpretation
990903: Review and interpretation of patient data by the clinician
990904: Clinical staff/physician/other qualified healthcare professional time in direct contact with the patient during the monitoring period
The initial set-up code (990901) is reported once per patient. The other three codes (990902, 990903, 990904) are reported once per monitoring period. A «monitoring period» is defined as the time between two consecutive clinical staff/physician/other qualified healthcare professional contacts with the patient, not to exceed thirty days.
These new RPM codes can be used for a variety of services, including but not limited to: cardiac monitoring, respiratory monitoring, weight management, blood pressure monitoring, and diabetes self-management. As always, documentation should support medical necessity.
Benefits:
The new RPM codes allow clinicians to be reimbursed for the time and effort required to set up and maintain remote patient monitoring systems. This valuable service can improve patient outcomes and reduce costs by catching problems early before they become more serious.
Drawbacks:
There are a few potential drawbacks to using RPM codes:
- Some insurers may not yet be aware of the new codes or may not reimburse for them.
- There is always the potential for technical difficulties with any remote monitoring system.
- As with any new system, there may be a learning curve for both clinicians and patients to get the most benefit from RPM services.
CPT Code 99453:
-This code can be used to provide RPM services to a patient via telephone, internet, or email.
-The service must be furnished by a physician or other qualified healthcare professional licensed in the state where the patient resides.
The code includes time for set-up, data collection, interpretation, and direct contact with the patient during the monitoring period.
-This code can be reported once per monitoring period (defined as no more than 30 days).
CPT Code 99454:
-This code can deliver RPM services to a patient using an automation process that does not necessitate actual contact between the physician and the patient.
-The service must be provided by a clinician or other qualified healthcare professional licensed in the patient’s state of residence.
The code covers time for set-up, data collecting, interpretation, and direct interaction with the patient during the observation period.
-This code may be reported just once throughout the variable represented (defined as no more than 30 days)
If you’re a clinician who provides remote patient monitoring services, it’s essential to be aware of the new CPT codes. These codes can be used for various services and help you get reimbursed for your time and effort.