[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

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                          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.

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