As we head into 2026, momentum across virtual care continues to build - shaped by evolving reimbursement policy, regulatory clarity, and growing evidence supporting care delivered beyond traditional settings. Recent updates around Remote Patient Monitoring, Hospital-at-Home, and wearable technologies reinforce how connected care models are becoming an increasingly important part of the healthcare landscape.

These shifts are also shaping how leaders, innovators, and healthcare organizations are thinking about the future of care.

This month, I had the opportunity to deliver a keynote at the IEEE Rising Stars Conference in Las Vegas, focused on digital health and AI in healthcare. Engaging with emerging engineers and innovators highlighted the importance of building technology that is practical, scalable, and grounded in real-world needs.

Thank you for your continued engagement as we work to make virtual-first care more accessible, scalable, and impactful.

2026 Physician Fee Schedule

Remote Physiologic Monitoring

Rates Published

CMS continues to support Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) in 2026 through established CPT codes covering device setup, data transmission, and ongoing clinical monitoring. For 2026, two new RPM code additions expand flexibility by allowing providers to bill for shorter, more targeted monitoring and engagement periods - better aligning reimbursement with how modern virtual care programs operate. Together, these updates give care teams greater freedom to design programs that match patient needs.

99453 - $21.71

Initial set up of device and education of RPM devices.

99445 - $52.11 (New for 2026)

Supplying patient with device(s) for 2-15 recording(s) or programmed alert(s) transmission, each 30 days.

99454 - $52.11

Device supply for 16-30 recordings or alert(s) transmissions each 30 days.

99457 - $51.77

Initial 20 minutes of RPM services time.

99458 - $41.42

Additional 20 minutes of RPM services time, with no limit.

99470 - $26.05 (New for 2026)

Treatment management services, qualified health care professional time per calendar month; interactive communication during the month; initial 10-20 minutes.

Note: (National Payment Rates - Non-Facility 2026)

📢  Policy Updates

Policy Watch: Medicare Advantage & RPM Coverage

Recent developments have renewed attention on how remote patient monitoring (RPM) is covered within Medicare Advantage (MA). While the CMS has not issued a national or local coverage determination (NCD or LCD) specific to RPM, some insurers have used this absence as part of the broader rationale used to justify restrictive coverage approaches.

Legal and policy experts caution against this interpretation. Emily Cook of McDermott Will & Schulte - who helped draft MA regulations - has emphasized that while MA plans may assess medical necessity on an individual member basis, the lack of an NCD or LCD does not create a free-for-all. Blanket exclusions that rule out RPM coverage for entire diagnoses, without individualized clinical evaluation, are inconsistent with the intent of Medicare Advantage parity requirements.

Congress Advances Hospital-at-Home Extension

On December 1, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 4313 / S. 2237), which would extend Hospital-at-Home waivers through 2030 and allow hospitals to continue delivering acute-level care in patients’ homes. The bill still awaits review in the Senate, where consideration is expected in early 2026.

View the bill, here.

FDA Signals Support for Low-Risk Digital Health & Wearables

On January 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released updated guidance clarifying its approach to general wellness products and clinical decision support software. The new General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices guidance outlines how non-invasive products that promote a healthy lifestyle - including certain wearable sensors - can be marketed without going through the agency’s full pre-market review, as long as they avoid disease diagnosis or treatment claims.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., highlighted the agency’s intent to encourage innovation while maintaining safety, noting the changes support broader consumer access to low-risk digital health tools without unnecessary regulatory burden.

View the FDA guidance update: here. 

📰 Quick Bytes - What We're Tracking

MedTech Dive – FDA Exempts More Wearable and AI Features from Oversight

The FDA announced it will exempt additional wearable-device features and AI-enabled functions from regulatory review when they meet general wellness criteria and pose low risk. This is a clear win for wearable and wellness platforms, enabling broader use of features that surface metrics like blood pressure patterns, oxygen saturation, and other physiologic indicators to support awareness and engagement. While clinical-grade claims remain regulated, the direction reinforces the FDA’s support for scalable, consumer-facing health insights that can meaningfully complement clinical care.

Read the article - here. 

MedTech Dive – Ōura’s Ricky Bloomfield Proposes New Regulatory Pathway for Wearables

Ōura’s Chief Medical Officer, Ricky Bloomfield, is calling for a new FDA regulatory framework tailored specifically to wearable health technologies. The proposal argues that existing pathways are not well-suited for rapidly evolving, software-driven wearables and that a modernized approach could accelerate innovation while maintaining safety and trust.

Read the article - here. 

Fierce Healthcare – UnitedHealthcare Pauses RPM Coverage Cuts After Backlash

After initially stating that remote patient monitoring (RPM) lacked sufficient evidence, UnitedHealthcare has paused its plan to scale back RPM coverage. The reversal follows significant industry pushback and renewed attention to clinical data supporting RPM’s role in improving outcomes and reducing costs - highlighting ongoing payer tension around digital care reimbursement.

Read the article, here. 

Health Affairs Forefront – UnitedHealthcare’s RPM Rollback Misreads the Evidence

A new Health Affairs commentary pushes back strongly against UnitedHealthcare’s RPM position, arguing that the insurer’s rationale ignores a growing body of peer-reviewed evidence. The authors warn that limiting RPM coverage could jeopardize patient outcomes, increase healthcare utilization, and undermine progress toward value-based, home-centered care models.

Read the response, here. 

Healthcare It News - Telemedicine could help with the VA's doc shortage

In a written Q&A with Bill Siwicki of Healthcare IT News, Kent Dicks, Founder and CEO of Life365, discusses how telemedicine and virtual care can play a critical role in addressing physician shortages within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Scaling telehealth, remote monitoring and connected care solutions can help deliver timely support - especially to veterans in rural or underserved areas - without adding to clinician burden. 

Read the Q&A, here. 

🎥 Kent Dicks with Stephen Ibaraki on Digital Health & AI

In this exclusive video conversation with Stephen Ibaraki, Life365 Founder & CEO Kent Dicks shares his perspective on how digital health, AI, and virtual care platforms are transforming healthcare delivery. Drawing on decades of innovation, Kent discusses the evolution of remote care, the role of intelligent data, and what’s needed to scale patient-centric solutions across healthcare systems.

Stephen Ibaraki is an influential technology strategist and host of industry interviews that spotlight thought leaders in computing, digital strategy, and innovation. The ACM Interview Series features in-depth conversations with executives shaping the future of technology, business, and society.

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is the world’s largest scientific and educational computing society dedicated to advancing computing as a science and profession.

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