The benefits of remote patient monitoring
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) lets a care team see a patient’s blood pressure, glucose, weight or oxygen levels between visits. Here’s how that helps patients, clinicians and practices, and what Medicare pays for it today.
What is remote patient monitoring?
RPM uses connected medical devices, such as blood pressure cuffs, glucose meters, scales and pulse oximeters, to send a patient’s readings from home to their care team automatically, usually over a cellular connection.
Instead of seeing one reading every few months in the office, the team sees a steady stream of data. They can spot a worrying trend early, call the patient and adjust treatment before a small problem becomes an emergency visit.
Patients with chronic conditions
Hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, COPD and obesity are the most common. Many patients have more than one, which makes regular check-ins even more valuable.
Why patients like RPM.
Care without the trip
Fewer drives to the clinic, which matters most for older patients and people in rural areas.
Someone is watching
Patients know their team will notice and call if their numbers change.
Better daily habits
Seeing their own readings every day helps patients stick with medication, diet and exercise.
Simple to use
Cellular devices work out of the box, with no Wi-Fi, app or smartphone needed.
How RPM helps clinicians and practices.
Better information
Weeks of real-world readings give a clearer picture than a single office reading.
Earlier action
Teams can adjust treatment between visits instead of waiting for the next appointment.
Fewer avoidable admissions
Catching problems early can help prevent ER visits and hospital readmissions.
Recurring revenue
Medicare and many other payers pay monthly for RPM, separate from office visits.
What Medicare pays for RPM in 2026.
The original three codes from 2019 have grown to six, including two new codes for shorter monitoring periods and lighter months.
Setup and education
About $21.71, once per episode of care.
Device supply
About $52.11 a month for 16+ days of readings. 99445 covers 2–15 days.
Treatment management
About $26.05 for 10–19 minutes, or $51.77 for 20+ minutes a month.
Additional time
About $41.42 for each additional 20 minutes.
See the full billing article for requirements and common mistakes.
Medicare has proposed big changes to RPM for 2027.
The proposals cover who can perform monitoring, a required initiating visit, and lower payment for device codes. The final rule is expected around November 1, 2026.
Read what’s changingRates are 2026 Medicare national averages and vary by locality and payer. This article is general information, not billing or legal advice. Confirm requirements with your Medicare Administrative Contractor.
See it in your office — in under 30 minutes.
We’ll walk you through the devices, The Bridge and billing, and answer every question about launching RPM in your practice.