The Rise of RTM and What It Means for Practice Owners

Illustrated telehealth

CPT codes aren’t exactly the most exciting topic for most physical therapists, but here’s something worth paying attention to: a new set of CPT codes introduced by CMS in 2022 tied to Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM). This development is particularly exciting because, for the first time, physical therapists can bill Medicare for the kind of patient engagement and follow-up care that has always been critical to achieving the best clinical outcomes. So, why should physical therapy practices adopt RTM? Let’s break down the key reasons why this approach is worth considering.

1. Generate Additional Revenue Streams

The CMS has established specific billing codes for RTM services for physical therapy (98975, 98977, 98980, and 98981). This presents a significant opportunity for physical therapy practices to diversify their revenue streams. By implementing RTM, practices can bill for time spent on regular activities such as checking patient progress and designing home exercise programs. This new revenue stream can help offset PT’s declining reimbursement rates and enable practices to enhance their bottom lines.

2. Improve Patient Outcomes

RTM improves patient outcomes by allowing continuous monitoring between visits. With real-time data, therapists can catch issues early, adjust treatments as needed, and keep patients engaged with reminders to complete exercises. This data-driven approach helps make personalized, informed decisions that lead to better results.

3. Deliver a Better Overall Experience for Your Practice

Implementing RTM enhances the experience for both patients and practitioners by offering greater convenience and flexibility, especially for those with mobility challenges or living remotely. It improves communication between patients and therapists, building trust and stronger relationships. Additionally, adopting RTM gives practices a competitive edge, appealing to tech-savvy patients and showcasing innovation and patient-focused care.

When implementing RTM, selecting the right software provider is crucial. Here are a few key factors to consider as you evaluate different options:

1. Integrated Home Exercise Program (HEP)

A good RTM solution should include an integrated Home Exercise Program (HEP) platform to streamline care. This offers a few key advantages:

  • Simplified Workflow: An integrated HEP means therapists can manage everything in one place without jumping between systems.
  • Better Patient Experience: Patients can easily follow their exercises and track progress through a single platform, helping them stay engaged.
  • Consistent Data: With everything in one system, it’s easier to track exercise data alongside other RTM information, giving a clear view of progress.

In addition, when choosing an RTM provider, it’s helpful to test out the user experience of its HEP module. For example, Copper Health includes a user-friendly and comprehensive HEP platform, elevating the experience for both therapists and patients.

2. Patient Engagement Support

When adopting RTM, it’s important to assess whether your practice can handle patient engagement internally or if an external full-service platform would be more beneficial. Here are a few key things to consider:

  • Time and Staffing: Managing RTM engagement, including interactive calls and patient check-ins, can require significant time and attention. It’s no secret that physical therapists are already swamped with work, so it’s understandable that not every practice has the capacity to manage the RTM workload internally.
  • Consistency of Engagement: Regular patient interactions and a minimum amount of time spent are required to qualify for RTM codes. A full-service platform can ensure these touchpoints happen without placing an extra burden on your team.
  • Efficiency and Cost: While managing engagement internally might seem cost-effective, a full-service solution like Copper Health can handle the interactive calls and streamline the process efficiently, helping clinics save both time and costs.

3. Pricing Structure

RTM provider pricing can vary, so it’s important to understand the impact on your practice:

  • Upfront Fees: Many practices prefer to avoid providers with high upfront costs, as it requires a bigger financial commitment before seeing any return on investment from RTM.
  • Flexible Models: Consider flexible subscription plans or percentage-based models that are easier to adopt.

Copper Health doesn’t charge upfront or fixed fees to ensure practices get the value you need before incurring any costs. However, different RTM providers may have different pricing models, so it’s important to understand the details before committing.

Conclusion

Adopting Remote Therapeutic Monitoring can help physical therapy practices take patient care to the next level, improve outcomes, and increase revenue for your practice. By selecting the right RTM platform that aligns with your practice’s needs, you will be well-positioned to fully capitalize on this new opportunity.