What CPT codes apply to remote therapeutic monitoring?

The core RTM CPT codes are 98975 for initial setup and patient education, 98976/98977 for device supply per 30-day period, 98980 for the first 20 minutes of clinical monitoring per month, and 98981 for each additional 20 minutes in the same month. Pediatric practices should confirm which codes their state Medicaid program and commercial payers recognize.

How is pediatric RTM different from adult RTM?

Billing codes are the same, but pediatric RTM requires developmentally appropriate content, caregiver involvement in the workflow, stronger engagement and motivation features like gamification, and progress data tied to developmental milestones rather than symptom reduction alone. This is why pediatric-specific platforms exist separately from general adult rehab tools.

Can remote therapeutic monitoring be used in pediatric physical therapy?

Yes. RTM billing codes are not restricted to adult patients. Pediatric PT practices can use RTM to monitor home exercise adherence and bill for monitoring time, provided documentation requirements are met and the payer recognizes pediatric RTM claims.

What is remote therapeutic monitoring used for in pediatric occupational therapy?

In pediatric OT, RTM commonly tracks progress on fine motor skills, sensory processing goals, and activities of daily living between clinic sessions. Because OT goals are often less binary than PT goals, platforms need flexible data capture and content customization to reflect OT-specific goal types rather than generic adherence tracking alone.

YourSteps Health-FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) in pediatric physical, occupational, and speech therapy?

Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) is a billable service that involves exchanging non-physiological data, allowing therapists to track a patient's home exercise program adherence, functional progress, and response to treatment between in-clinic or virtual visits. In pediatric care, RTM typically involves a therapist reviewing data on exercise adherence and patient-reported outcomes that a caregiver logs through an app and adjusting the plan as appropriate.

YourSteps was built specifically for this pediatric therapy, pairing a therapist portal with the YourSteps® Patient Family App designed for parents, caregivers, children, adolescents, and young adults.

Does insurance reimburse pediatric remote therapeutic monitoring?

Reimbursement rates, prior authorization rules, and documentation requirements vary by payer and by state Medicaid program, so practices should confirm specifics with each payer before billing.

‍Because RTM billing depends on specific, auditable documentation (time spent, data reviewed, clinical decisions made), platforms used for RTM need to generate that documentation. Request our RTM Guide for a breakdown of applicable codes and documentation requirements.

What should a pediatric therapy practice look for in an RTM or home exercise platform?

Based on feedback from pediatric PT, OT, and speech therapy practices:

Age-appropriate content and gamification built for children rather than relabeled adult exercise libraries
Functional challenges to motivate children using smartphone sensors to capture progress in physical abilities
Caregiver-inclusive workflows, since young patients rarely manage their own program independently
Real-time, actionable data therapists can use to individualize treatment
Built-in RTM billing documentation, since manual documentation is a major adoption barrier
Content flexibility, allowing therapists or to add their own approved materials rather than waiting on vendor content updates

‍ YourSteps was built around these criteria specifically for pediatric and adolescent patients — see the platform overview for details on the Therapist Portal and Patient Family App.

Does YourSteps® have content for all therapy disciplines?

The platform offers exercises, activities, content, and gamification for pediatric physical, occupational, and speech therapy for all rehabilitation or therapy diagnoses. Content includes gross and fine motor skills, sensory integration, balance and coordination, activities of daily living, articulation and language development, feeding and oral motor skills, and social communication. Functional challenges using smartphone sensors track progress across strength, balance, flexibility, gait, and motor skills.

Can YourSteps® be utilized for home exercise programming alone?

Yes, YourSteps® can be used only for home exercise programming if clinics do not bill RTM services. The data in the platform can drive in-person or virtual visit plans with greater understanding of what is going well and not going well in the home between visits.

Can clinics add their own content or request content be added to the YourSteps® platform?

Yes, therapists can add their own content to the platform or edit the content to individualize care for their patients. YourSteps® Health is committed to the needs of pediatric therapy; therefore, the team asks customers to request content that will improve their ability to serve the needs of their patients.