[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 95 (Friday, June 8, 2018)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E804] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] SUPPORTING INTEGRATION OF FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS IN THE VA MISSION ACT OF 2018 ______ HON. DARRELL E. ISSA of california in the house of representatives Friday, June 8, 2018 Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight two important pieces of legislation that address the care of our nation's veterans. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks, or VA MISSION Act, into law, enacting key reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill will help us fulfill our nation's promise to veterans by increasing access to quality, timely care and benefits, while increasing accountability and transparency at the agency. Today, the House passed an appropriations package that funds the Department of Veterans Affairs for Fiscal Year 2019, including the new VA MISSION Act. Specifically, I would like to highlight a provision included in the bill that ensures the newly created Center for Innovation for Care and Payment has the resources it needs to improve quality and access to care for our vets, while finding cost savings at the VA by cutting through bureaucratic red tape and establishing common-sense partnerships with sister agencies in the federal government. One such partnership I hope the Center will consider exploring is the opportunity for VA Medical Centers to integrate care with Federal Qualified Health Centers, or FQHCs. Many veterans, especially those who live in rural communities, face challenges accessing care through the traditional VA system, and partnering with FQHCs that already provide quality care in local communities could be the most effective alternative for veterans facing transportation, mobility, or additional concerns with traveling to the nearest VA hospital. With over 10,000 FQHC service sites located across the U.S., a pilot program examining the opportunity for FQHCs to work with VA Medical Centers could demonstrate the viability of this program on a larger scale. Under the VA MISSION Act, FQHCs are already designated as eligible providers, just as they have been under current law for years. The Innovation Center has the authority to conduct pilot programs studying the best way to connect veterans to the high-quality care they deserve, and measuring the impact of a potential VA-FQHC partnership will generate the critical data necessary to determine how to achieve the missions of Veterans' Choice while cutting costs at the VA. ____________________