By Adriana Krasniansky
New reimbursement codes for virtual patient monitoring may soon be incorporated into Medicare’s fee schedule, signaling the continued expansion and reach of digital health technologies catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed adding a new class of current procedural terminology (CPT) codes under the category of “remote therapeutic monitoring” in its Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2022 — with a window for public comments until September 13, 2021. While this announcement may seem like a niche piece of health care news, it signals a next-phase evolution for virtual care in the U.S. health system, increasing access possibilities for patients nationwide.