Medicare delays rule on remote patient monitoring vendors

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on Nov. 4, 2026, that it will delay a new policy restricting the use of third-party vendors for remote patient monitoring and remote therapeutic monitoring services. The requirement that clinical staff must be direct employees of a billing practitioner will now take effect on Jan. 1, 2029, rather than in the immediate future.

The agency initially proposed these restrictions to address program-integrity concerns raised by the HHS Office of Inspector General. The OIG previously reported that 43% of Medicare enrollees receiving remote patient monitoring did not receive all required service components, prompting the agency to seek tighter oversight of outsourced care.

The proposal faced significant opposition from more than 230 healthcare organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association. These groups argued that the restriction would create barriers to care, particularly in rural and underserved areas where providers rely on third-party support to manage their programs.

While the employment requirement is delayed, other changes will proceed as scheduled on Jan. 1, 2027. Starting then, practitioners must conduct a face-to-face initiating visit, either in-person or via telehealth, before billing for these services. Additionally, remote therapeutic monitoring services will be limited to established patients.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services intends to release subregulatory guidance to clarify acceptable clinical staff arrangements before the 2029 deadline. Meanwhile, the American Medical Association’s valuation committee is expected to review the associated code valuations.