Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Massachusetts 911 Outage, Blamed On Firewall Glitch, Exposes System's Risks
The New York Times: ‘We Just Always Expect It To Work’: 911 Outage Shows System’s Perils
The abrupt failure of Massachusetts’ 911 system on Tuesday was a stark example of the disastrous consequences that can occur when an emergency network that is supposed to be reliable is, without warning, suddenly unreliable. The outage, lasting two hours, prompted a scramble among emergency agencies as they directed the public to reach out directly to the local authorities at less-familiar phone numbers or, as a last resort, go in person to their local firehouse. (Bogel-Burroughs, 6/19)
AP: Firewall To Deter Cyberattacks Is Blamed For Massachusetts 911 Outage
A firewall designed to prevent cyberattacks and hacking was to blame for the 911 outage that hit Massachusetts this week, state officials said Wednesday. While some calls didn’t go through, the state said the system “allows dispatch centers to identify the phone number of callers and return those calls.” As a result, the Department was not aware of any emergencies being negatively affected by the outage. (Casey, 6/19)
On transgender health and IVF coverage for gay men —
The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Votes To Ignore Biden Administration's Title IX Protections For Trans Students
With federal funding for public schools in the balance, Utah lawmakers voted Wednesday to instruct state entities to ignore an expansion of Title IX under President Joe Biden that offers protections for transgender students. Around a hundred protesters — many wrapped in transgender flags — chanted “vote no” outside the doors of the Utah House chamber as representatives convened before voting to adopt the pair of resolutions. (Stern and Nesbitt, 6/20)
CBS News: Florida Appeals Federal Judge's Transgender Treatment Ruling
Florida has appealed a federal judge's ruling that blocked state restrictions on treatment for people with gender dysphoria and wants the ruling put on hold while the appeal plays out. Lawyers for the state filed a notice Tuesday that is a first step in asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the June 11 ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle. The state also filed a motion in district court seeking a stay of Hinkle's ruling during the appeal. (6/19)
Fox News: NYC Council Members Urge City To Provide IVF Coverage For Gay Male Employees
The New York City Council is urging Mayor Eric Adams to take action and extend in vitro fertilization (IVF) coverage to gay male employees in the wake of a lawsuit. The council's LGBTQIA+ Caucus sent a letter to Adams last week that said gay men are denied benefits extended to straight couples and single women. The lawmakers argue that an "exclusionary and outdated" statutory definition of "infertility" denies gay men access to IVF. (Pandolfo, 6/19)
In news from Texas —
The Texas Tribune: Texas Maternal Mortality Committee Changes Cause Alarm
The chair of Texas’ maternal mortality review committee expressed concerns Tuesday with recent changes to the body, including the Legislature’s elimination of the community advocate position and the Department of State Health Services commissioner’s recent appointment of an anti-abortion doctor to the committee. (Klibanoff, 6/18)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Town Aims For First-Of-Its-Kind Memory Loss Care Center
Addy Lois Dunn’s memory became a concern after she began running red lights and forgetting well-worn routes. She would soon be diagnosed with dementia, and her family, including her son, Randy Dunn, would rally to her care. That was more than 20 years ago. Addy is now gone. She died in February 2012 at 74. Yet, her battle inspired Randy, who is now the mayor of Quitman, a small East Texas town. And he is part of a group on a multi-year quest to establish a new kind of care for Texans living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. (Huff and Simpson, 6/19)
