By Sean Kinsman
Early this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a group of new reimbursement codes that have the potential to catapult digital health solutions for musculoskeletal (MSK) and respiratory care to the next level.
Providers are now able to bill payers using Remote Therapeutic Monitoring codes, or RTM, for digital MSK or respiratory services related to the cost, set-up, and monitoring of software and devices that measure patient therapy adherence and therapy response. For providers who have been impacted by pandemic-related burnout and staffing shortages, these codes now provide the financial structure and incentive to scale digital treatments and therapies for their patients who suffer from MSK or respiratory problems. MSK conditions alone are a huge driver of US healthcare spending and disability with one out of two people impacted by an MSK-related issue.
