How Each PCC Program Works

Psych Screening (TEMPO)

Psych Screening uses validated digital instruments to identify psychological and behavioral-health concerns. The initial screening is short and may include instruments such as PHQ-9, GAD-7, AUDIT-C, and other applicable standardized assessments.

The patient receives the Day-1 screening beginning the day after enrollment. If two or more screening domains are flagged, PCC sends a longer Day-2 assessment on a separate day. Day 2 requires provider review and interpretation before the associated encounter is finalized. PCC scores the assessments and surfaces clinically significant results to the practice. 

Safety alerts
If a patient's responses indicate potential suicidal ideation, PCC:

1. Immediately provides the patient with 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline information.
2. Creates a highest-severity clinical alert for the practice.

Populate does not independently contact, monitor, or clinically manage the patient after generating the alert. The practice determines the appropriate course of action for that patient, including alerts received outside normal business hours. PCC is not an emergency service and is not monitored by Populate 24/7.

Monthly Care Check-In (CCM)

Monthly Care Check-In provides ongoing care-management support for patients with qualifying chronic conditions. PCC identifies potential eligibility based on qualifying ICD codes documented in visit notes. The provider then chooses whether to enroll the patient.

Once enrolled, Rachel, the practice's AI-powered virtual care assistant, contacts the patient monthly on behalf of the practice to collect relevant updates about chronic conditions, symptoms, medications, care-plan progress, and other concerns. PCC uses the patient's interactions and available chart information to support the monthly CCM
documentation and billing workflow.

Important CCM billing considerations
Only one practitioner can bill CCM for a patient in a calendar month. Many chronically ill patients may already receive CCM through a PCP or another practitioner. Populate does not verify whether another practitioner is billing CCM for the patient. PCC bills CCM early in the month, but another practitioner billing CCM can still result in a denial.

When CCM enrollment occurs, PCC also adds the applicable CCM initiation documentation and G0506 to the visit workflow. The practitioner must personally perform and document the work required to support that service.

Providers must also document any additional care-management time they personally perform. Rachel's logged interaction time alone does not eliminate the practice's responsibility to ensure that the complete monthly record supports the service being billed.

Treatment Progress Check-In (RTM)

Treatment Progress Check-In gives the practice visibility into how a patient's musculoskeletal treatment is progressing between visits. PCC may collect information about:

1. Pain
2. Functional status
3. Treatment adherence
4. Medication response
5. Therapy response
6. Changes in symptoms or condition

After enrollment, the patient first completes a digital RTM setup experience that introduces the program and explains how monitoring works. RTM does not begin until setup is completed. The provider attests to medical necessity when finalizing the applicable RTM documentation.

Timing
RTM operates on two monthly monitoring cycles.

1. Patients enrolled before the 15th can participate in both applicable monthly cycles.
2. Patients enrolled on or after the 15th participate in the second cycle.
3. Monitoring begins only after the patient completes RTM setup.