Virtual care advocacy group Alliance for Connected Care sent a letterto CMS urging the agency not to finalize its proposed policies for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) in the Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
The proposed rule limits billable RPM work to direct employees of the billing practice. CMS wrote: “We do not believe that RPM or RTM services provided by clinical staff contracted by a third party can ensure the billing practitioner has adequate oversight, management, or collaboration to bill RPM or RTM services.”
The coalition of health systems, patient advocacy groups and remote patient monitoring companies said the proposed rule would cause immediate and significant disruption for over 1 million Medicare beneficiaries who rely on remote monitoring to manage chronic conditions, avoid preventable complications, and stay connected to their care teams.The letter points to the Trump Administration’s own calls for greater use of technology to improve chronic disease management, especially in the Rural Health Transformation Program, arguing that remote monitoring advances both goals and that CMS should expand access to proven technology-enabled care rather than dismantle the models that make it possible.Rather than broad restrictions on beneficiary access, the coalition urges CMS to delay the proposed remote monitoring policies and work with stakeholders on a balanced approach that protects patients, preserves clinically integrated care, and addresses program integrity concerns through proportionate, evidence-based guardrails.“A policy intended to strengthen oversight should not increase costs to taxpayers,” the letter states, cautioning that restricting access to these services would move Medicare away from effective prevention and early intervention and back toward more expensive emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and institutional care.The signers note that if finalized, the proposal would force providers to reduce enrollment, terminate programs, or stop offering remote monitoring altogether. Signers emphasize that CMS’s proposed changes will hit small practices, rural providers, and safety net organizations. These are often the same communities facing long travel distances, clinician shortages, hospital closures, and limited access to specialists.
