The last few years have brought significant news and developments concerning remote patient monitoring (RPM) and remote care management for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs). CMS decisions finalized in the 2024 and 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rules have made it even more worthwhile for FQHCs and RHCs to launch RPM and remote care management programs. Doing so will enable these organizations to provide new and expanded care management services to their patients while generating significant, sustainable, and growable revenue.
10 Things for FQHCs and RHCs to Know About RPM and Remote Care Management
Here are 10 things FQHCs and RHCs should know about remote patient monitoring and other remote care management services.
1. CMS extends coverage of remote patient monitoring
Historically, remote patient monitoring (i.e., remote physiologic monitoring) codes had not been separately billable by FQHCs and RHCs, with CMS considering RPM "included" within an all-inclusive rate. In 2019, CMS split chronic care management (CCM) out from the "all-inclusive" general care management code (HCPCS G0511), thus allowing FQHCs and RHCs to bill for CCM under this HCPCS code. Yet, CMS chose not to split RPM out at the time.
This changed with the 2024 PFS final rule, with CMS including RPM, as well as remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM), in HCPCS G0511. The inclusion had been long advocated for, and it was terrific to see it finally happen.
2. CMS decommissions G0511 for RPM and other care management services
In the 2025 PFS final rule, CMS announced it was decommissioning G0511 for care coordination services in FQHCs and RHCs. Instead, starting in 2025, FQHCs and RCHs must code and bill these care coordination services, which include RPM, using their existing, designated care management CPT codes. CMS has granted FQHCs and RHCs at least a six-month transition period during which they can still bill G0511. As of now, these organizations are expected to fully transition the coding of care management services to CPT codes by the end of June 2025, but it is possible that CMS will extend this transition deadline.
3. List of covered care management services expanded further
When appropriate, FQHCs and RHCs can now bill for remote patient monitoring, remote therapeutic monitoring, chronic care management, and the following:
- Principal care management (PCM)
- Behavioral health integration (BHI)
- Chronic pain management (CPM)
- Community health integration (CHI)
- Principal illness navigation (PIN)
- Advanced primary care management (APCM)
Community health integration and principal illness navigation were new for 2024, having been finalized in the 2024 PFS final rule. CHI services focus on addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) needs interfering with diagnosis or treatment of a patient's problems addressed in the CHI initiating visit, while principal illness navigation PIN services can be furnished following an initiating provider visit to establish or affirm a treatment plan for at least one serious, high-risk condition expected to last longer than 3 months.
Advanced primary care management is new for 2025, having been finalized in the 2025 PFS final rule. APCM is Medicare's latest initiative — which includes a dedicated set of HCPCS codes and payments — intended to help providers deliver continuous, proactive care to patients with chronic conditions. Learn more about APCM and how it can benefit FQHCs and RHCs and their patients in this detailed blog post.
4. Remote patient monitoring billing opportunities increased
The 2025 change in coding rules and expanded coverage of care management services are welcomed news for FQHCs and RHCs offering or planning to offer remote patient monitoring. Patients in these settings are more likely to need additional care management time, but the G0511-based coding scheme incentivized providers to limit RPM and other care management services to 20 minutes. By enabling FQHCs and RHCs to use existing care management CPT codes for billing, this removes the incentive and instead places the emphasis on providing patients with appropriate levels and lengths of services, regardless of the time required. The transition brings a need for greater precision in the delivery of care management services, but it also brings the potential for increased revenue.
Here is what coding (using CPT codes) and billing looks like for RPM for FQHCs and RHCs in 2025:
In addition, FQHCs and RHCs can pair remote patient monitoring with the new advanced primary care management. RPM is a strong complement to APCM, which bundles transitional care, virtual check-ins, and remote monitoring into a single billing structure, as it allows for the continuous tracking of patient health metrics. Integrating RPM with APCM creates additional revenue opportunities.
Below is what RPM/APCM dual-enrolled coding and billing looks like in 2025:
5. RPM is of significant value for FQHC and RHC patients
While patients nationwide are benefiting from remote patient monitoring, expanding access to these services through FQHCs and RHCs is a big win for patient care and improving patient outcomes. We know that FQHC and RHC patient demographics include higher prevalence of chronic conditions and underserved populations, with individuals facing entrenched barriers to patient care, such as low mobility, the need to travel longer distances to receive care, and higher levels of indigency.
FQHCs and RHCs are particularly well suited for care management because of their integrated care model and high focus on social determinants of health (SDOH). Patient engagement and buy-in is crucial for the success of RPM, and FQHCs and RHCs tend to excel in these areas.
6. Delivering RPM services is fairly straightforward
The core Medicare rules FQHCs and RHCs will need to comply with when they launch remote patient monitoring programs are easy to follow. Medicare gives providers great flexibility in choosing which conditions and patient cohorts utilize RPM. An FQHC or RHC would need to identify the condition(s) they would like to manage remotely and launch the RPM program to offer the service to its patients.
Following enrollment, a patient will need to be provided with a device to collect physiological data. RPM devices must be electronically connected. Depending on an FQHCs and RHC's device vendor partner, it may be possible to have devices mailed directly to patients. FQHCs and RHCs can also choose to have patients pick up their RPM devices at the organization's physical location.
Once the device is set up, health data is captured by the device and transmitted from patient to FQHC or RHC electronically. The FQHC or RHC then analyzes this data and gives the patient health guidance and interventions based upon the results.
7. Common examples of remote patient monitoring applications
Remote patient monitoring can be used to support patients with various chronic conditions. Some of the most common patient applications for RPM include:
- Hypertension management
- Weight measurement for congestive heart failure
- Weight measurement for obesity
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management
- Asthma management
- Glucose monitoring/continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)
8. Many choices of RPM devices, with important connectivity considerations
FQHCs and RHCs have choices for what RPM devices they provide to patients to collect health data. The most common RPM devices are blood pressure monitors, weight scales, blood glucose meters, and pulse oximeters.
One of the most significant decisions FQHCs and RHCs will need to make concerning devices is whether the devices provided to their patients use cellular or Bluetooth technology. A cellular device — with an embedded cellular modem — is typically simple to set up and use, only requiring patients to insert batteries, turn the device on, and then follow the directions for how to operate the device to capture readings (e.g., stepping on a scale). A Bluetooth device requires the completion of more steps, which may include downloading and installing a smartphone app, connecting the device to the smartphone, and ensuring the smartphone can access Wi-Fi.
Using Bluetooth devices may be more challenging for FQHC and RHCs patients who lack access to or cannot afford broadband internet or who are unable to afford newer smartphone models that may be required to run some device apps. Note: Learn more about the differences between cellular and Bluetooth RPM devices here.
9. Patient education is essential
To ensure the short- and long-term viability of a remote patient monitoring program, FQHCs and RHCs will need patients to initially agree with a recommendation that they begin to use an RPM device (i.e., consent to receiving RPM services) and then remain engaged and continue to use the device over time. There are a few steps federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics can take to help with patient education and engagement, including:
- Defining RPM so your patient population understands the service
- Describing how RPM works
- Explaining the health, wellness, and financial value/benefits of RPM to your patient population
- Providing instructions on device setup and ongoing usage
- Delivering education using the communication channels patients prefer (e.g., text messaging, phone calls, patient portal, in-person)
- Reengaging with RPM program participants to answer any questions and ensure they feel continually supported
- Strengthening education and engagement efforts by learning from patient experiences (e.g., surveys of active program participants, evaluating why patients stopped participating, getting feedback from supporting staff)
10. Don't underestimate the importance of choosing a remote patient monitoring system
FQHCs and RHCs have options for the remote patient monitoring system — comprised of software and connected patient devices — they want to use. Making an informed decision on which of the RPM solutions to invest in may prove the difference between an RPM program that meets patient and program needs or becomes one the organization regrets.
Among the qualities FQHCs and RHCs should prioritize in an RPM system include the following:
- Ability to support the equipment that will collect and interpret their most pertinent patient data
- Ability to scale as an RPM program grows
- Ease of system setup and usage, customization options, and availability of training and support provided by the system's vendor
- Ability for the RPM technology to successfully integrate with existing technology, such as an electronic health records (EHR) platform
- Device considerations, including requirements to use a vendor's devices or "bring your own" provided by a different vendor; ability to have devices shipped directly to patients; whether the vendor provides support for patient setup and use of the equipment; and ability to use cellularly connected devices, Bluetooth devices, or a combination of both
- Support for coding and billing of RPM services, including how the system helps streamline these processes; better ensures clean claims that lead to timely, accurate reimbursements; and empowers compliance with billing requirements
- Priority on security and compliance, which are essential for long-term program viability
Prevounce: The Complete Remote Patient Monitoring System for FQHCs and RHCs
With a better understanding of remote patient monitoring, including its substantial value for patients and providers, FQHCs and RHCs can take the next step in launching their RPM programs with confidence. Prevounce is the developer of one of the most trusted, comprehensive remote patient monitoring platforms that includes software and optional connected devices.
Every day, Prevounce is helping organizations, including FQHCs and RHCs nationwide, expand patient care outside their walls, bringing the value of remote care management to more people who will benefit from the services. To learn how Prevounce can help your FQHC and RHC establish and build a thriving RPM program, book a meeting with us here.