For providers · updated 2026-11-06
Choosing remote patient monitoring for a small practice: what to ask any vendor
We are three physicians who built an RPM platform because the ones we were offered did not fit a real clinic week. This is the checklist we would use to evaluate any vendor — including Velantri. Where we fall short today, it says so.
1. Who takes the reading, and what happens when it isn't taken?
Most RPM programs fail on adherence, not technology. Medicare's main device code (CPT 99454) requires readings on 16 or more days in a 30-day period, so a patient who measures twice a week produces no billable month and no usable trend. Ask every vendor what they do on day 3 of silence. Velantri's answer: reminders in the patient's language, a short daily physician-reviewed health note that gives patients a reason to open the app, and WellPoints for consistency.
2. Which devices, and who ships and replaces them?
Cellular cuffs transmit without a phone or Wi-Fi and are the right default for older and lower-tech patients; Bluetooth cuffs need a paired phone; manual entry needs nothing. Ask who pays for the device, who ships it, and who handles a dead battery. Velantri supplies cellular cuffs so readings transmit on their own; manual entry and Apple Health sync are there for the patient's own tracking.
3. Who reviews the readings — your staff or theirs?
This is the biggest fork. 'Software only' means your nurse or MA watches the portal and your practice bills the management time. 'Fully managed' means the vendor's clinical team does the monthly outreach and usually takes a share of reimbursement. Neither is wrong; mixing them up is. Velantri is software plus a physician founder on implementation: your team makes the clinical decisions; for adherence we add rewards in the app and, on request, outreach to patients who stop measuring.
4. Does it serve your Spanish-speaking patients, or just translate the menu?
Ask to see the patient app, reminders and education content in Spanish, not a screenshot of a language toggle. Velantri's patient app, daily health reads and reminders are fully bilingual (English/Spanish).
5. What does the clinic have to change?
A platform that requires new workflows, new logins for every staff member and a six-week implementation will not survive a busy quarter. Ask what enrollment takes for the front desk and what a reading looks like to the clinician. Velantri was built by physicians around one rule: the clinic should not have to change to use it.
6. EHR integration — real, planned, or 'export'?
Ask for the name of a live practice on your EHR, not a logo wall. Many platforms, Velantri included, offer a separate secure portal with export today and native integration on the roadmap. That is acceptable for a pilot if everyone says so out loud.
7. How does the billing actually work, and who documents it?
Under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, RPM is billed with CPT 99453 (setup and patient education, once), 99454 (device supply and data transmission, 16–30 days in 30), 99457 (first 20 minutes of treatment management in a month) and 99458 (each additional 20 minutes). The 2026 final rule added 99445 (device supply for 2–15 days) and 99470 (10–19 minutes of management), which make shorter monitoring months reimbursable. Medical necessity, an established patient relationship, an FDA-defined medical device, interactive communication for the management codes and documentation requirements still apply, and payer coverage — including Medicare Advantage plans — varies. Ask the vendor to show you the reading-day count and the time record your biller will rely on. Velantri records reading days per patient and helps practices set up RPM billing at onboarding.
8. What does it cost per enrolled patient, all in?
Get one number that includes software, device, cellular connectivity, shipping and replacements, any monitoring staff, and the exit terms. Be cautious of guaranteed-revenue claims. Velantri prices pilots per practice by patient volume and device choice; there is no charge to patients.
9. Where is the data, who can see it, and is there a BAA?
Ask where PHI is hosted, who at the vendor can access it, how access is logged, and for a signed Business Associate Agreement before the first patient. Velantri is HIPAA compliant: hosted in the United States, access limited to the connected care team and named staff, a designated HIPAA Security and Privacy Officer, a BAA before the first patient, and a security summary on request.
10. Can we start small?
A 60–90 day pilot with 20–50 patients who have uncontrolled hypertension or a recent medication change tells you more than any demo. Ask whether the vendor will do that without a long contract. Velantri will.
Where Velantri is honest about itself
- Strong: patient engagement, bilingual EN/ES, physician-built workflow, pilot-friendly, no cost to patients.
- Not yet: native EHR integration; managed clinical monitoring by our own nurses.
- Always: your clinicians make the clinical decisions; we keep the record and surface the trends.
Billing information above summarizes the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule as of 2026-11-06; verify current rules with CMS, your Medicare Administrative Contractor and your payers before building a revenue model.
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