Before 2026, the standard CPT 99454 device-supply threshold was 16 days in a 30-day period. Beginning in 2026, CPT 99445 provides a separate device-supply code for 2–15 days of qualifying data transmission. Fifteen days of legitimate, clinically useful data transmission earned nothing. CPT 99445 closes that gap — the device-side counterpart to CPT 99470 closing the same kind of gap on the management-time side.
What CPT 99445 Actually Covers
99445 reimburses for the supply of an RPM device and the transmission of a patient’s physiologic data when that transmission occurs on 2 to 15 separate days within a 30-day period — below the 16-day threshold required for 99454. Like 99454, the device must meet the FDA’s definition of a medical device and digitally/automatically collect and transmit the physiologic data. A consumer wellness device does not automatically qualify simply because it can collect health data. The device used for RPM must meet CMS’s applicable medical-device and automatic-transmission requirements.
The Rule That Matters Most: You Bill One or the Other, Never Both
99445 and 99454 are mutually exclusive for the same patient in the same 30-day period. If transmission reaches 16 days or more, bill 99454 instead of 99445 — not both, regardless of how the month started. The correct code is determined by the final tally of transmission days for that period, not an assumption based on how the patient has typically performed in prior months.
When to Use Each Code
Days of Data Transmission (30-day period) | Appropriate CPT Code |
0–1 days | Not billable under either code |
2–15 days | 99445 |
16–30 days | 99454 |
Billing Examples
Example 1: A patient recovering from a recent cardiac procedure transmits blood pressure readings on 9 days during the first month home, before establishing a consistent routine. Bill: 99445.
Example 2: A patient with well-controlled hypertension transmits weight and blood pressure readings 22 days that month, as usual. Bill: 99454.
Example 3: A patient with intermittent symptoms generates qualifying physiologic data on 6 days during the applicable 30-day period. If the RPM service otherwise meets Medicare coverage and medical-necessity requirements, 99445 may apply
When CPT 99445 May Apply
99445 may apply when a patient has a medically necessary acute or chronic condition requiring RPM and generates 2–15 days of qualifying physiologic data during the applicable 30-day period.
- Post-discharge monitoring, where a patient continues to require medically necessary physiologic monitoring after hospitalization or a procedure but generates fewer than 16 qualifying transmission days during the applicable 30-day period.
- Episodic monitoring, where a patient generates qualifying physiologic data on fewer than 16 days during the applicable 30-day period.
- Adherence gaps in an otherwise regularly enrolled patient, who simply has a lighter month — a device issue, travel, or a temporary lapse that still produced real, usable data
This is the same reimbursement-recovery story we’ve covered elsewhere in this series: a meaningful share of practices concluded RPM wasn’t financially worthwhile partly because legitimate monitoring below the old thresholds went entirely unbilled. (Our Why Many RPM Programs Fail After 90 Days piece covers this pattern in more depth.) 99445 recovers device-side revenue the same way 99470 recovers management-time revenue — together, they close both halves of the same longstanding gap.
Documentation Requirements
Document the qualifying transmission days for the applicable 30-day period, the device used for RPM, confirmation that the device meets applicable medical-device and automatic-transmission requirements, the patient’s condition and medical necessity for monitoring, and the services furnished. The lower transmission-day threshold does not eliminate the other RPM requirements.
Common Reasons 99445 Claims Get Denied
- Billing 99445 and 99454 in the same 30-day period — pick one based on the final transmission-day count, never both.
- Fewer than 2 days of transmission — there’s no tier below 99445; 0–1 days isn’t billable under either device code.
- Manually entered or self-reported data — the same automatic-transmission requirement from 99454 applies here.
- Devices that don’t meet applicable medical-device requirements — a device must meet the FDA definition of a medical device, be reliable and valid, and automatically collect and transmit the data rather than rely on self-reporting.
2026 RPM CPT Code Reference
CPT Code | Description | Billing Threshold | Frequency | Approx. 2026 Medicare National Average |
99453 | Initial device setup & patient education | One-time | One-time | ~$21.71 |
99445 | Device supply & data transmission | 2–15 days | Each 30-day period | ~$52.11 |
Device supply & data transmission | 16–30 days | Each 30-day period | ~$52.11 | |
RPM treatment management | 10–19 minutes | Monthly | ~$26.05 | |
RPM treatment management | First 20 minutes | Monthly | ~$51.77 | |
Additional RPM treatment management | Each additional 20 minutes | Monthly add-on | ~$41.42 |
*National averages vary by locality (GPCI-adjusted) and Medicare Administrative Contractor. Confirm current rates through the CMS Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool before relying on these for financial planning — commercial payer rates will also differ from Medicare’s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 99445 reimburse the same as 99454 despite covering fewer days?
CMS established separate transmission-day thresholds for the device-supply component, but the payment amount is not reduced simply because the patient falls into the 2–15-day tier. Both codes represent the RPM device-supply component for the applicable 30-day period.
Can you bill 99445 and CCM in the same month?
Yes, as long as the time and activities documented for each are genuinely separate, with no double-counting.
What happens if a patient transmits data on only 1 day that month?
Neither 99445 nor 99454 is billable — 2 days is the minimum threshold for device-side reimbursement.
The Bottom Line
99445 closes the last major all-or-nothing gap in RPM device billing, the same way 99470 closed it on the management side. For independent practices, that means post-discharge monitoring, episodic conditions, and the occasional light month no longer mean walking away with zero device-side reimbursement for genuinely useful monitoring.
For the full RPM code picture, see our RPM CPT Codes Explained overview, or start with our guide to launching an RPM program if you’re still building the foundation.
Curious whether your practice has device-side monitoring currently going unbilled? Talk to our team about how Advaa Health remote patient monitoring software tracks transmission days against every current threshold automatically, inside the EHR you already use.
