CMS has announced an open period for additional organizations to be considered for participation in Model 1 of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative. Under this program, participating organizations will focus on improving care coordination for Medicare beneficiaries who are hospitalized and, in certain cases, when they leave the hospital. In Model 1, the episode of care is defined as the inpatient stay in the acute care hospital, and Medicare pays participating hospitals a discounted amount from the fee-for-service Medicare inpatient prospective payment system payment. The open period will close on July 31, 2013.