By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

A look at the morning's top health industry news.

What Massachusetts thinks: A New York Times editorial suggests that, for all the criticism of the federal mandate that most people must buy health insurance starting in 2014, public support nationally could follow the trajectory of that in Massachusetts and get stronger. It points to a recent poll that found most people in this state, 51 percent, support the state mandate. The poll, conducted by the Globe and the Harvard School of Public Health, found 63 percent of residents support state changes to health care overall.

By Kay Lazar, Globe Staff

Thousands of legal immigrants may have to wait weeks longer to find out whether the state's highest court will order Massachusetts to restore their full health insurance benefits.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Robert J. Cordy today ordered lawyers for the state to file their motions by June 23.

But Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Grace Miller said in court today that the state intends to file a motion to have the issue heard before the full court, which is likely to push things back until the fall.

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

Kennedy's One Mind for Research: Globe reporter Bella English tells the story of Patrick Kennedy's new passion: raising money for brain research. Kennedy co-founded One Mind for Research, with the goal of raising $1.5 billion in private philanthropy and federal funding over 10 years to support study of the brain and convene scientists and policymakers. Kennedy said he has had a long interest in his family's DNA and history of neurological disorders, and he plans to make supporting brain research his life's work.

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

Emergency room visits have been on the rise in Massachusetts since the passage of the 2006 health law, much to the chagrin of supporters who projected that the opposite would happen as more people had insurance and were connected with primary care providers. A new study published online by the Annals of Emergency Medicine shows that the issue may be a bit more nuanced.

While overall emergency room visits increased about 4.1 percent between 2006 and 2008, visits among patients who are poor or uninsured using the emergency room for "low-severity" issues fell slightly, by about 1.8 percent.

The number is small but significant, according to the authors. It represents a slight step in the right direction. But it also provides a reality check, said lead author Dr. Peter Smulowitz, an emergency physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

A look at the morning's top health industry news.

Avoiding HIPAA faux pas on social media: In a guest post on KevinMD.com, Dave Ekrem offers these helpful seven tips to medical professionals using social media tools on how to avoid a breach in patient privacy. Ekem manages web development and social media for MassGeneral Hospital for Children.

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

The governor today announced the appointment of a new Medicaid director. Dr. Julian Harris will take the post July 18.

Harris now sees patients at the Southern Jamaica Plain Community Health Center and at Cambridge Health Alliance, both places that see large numbers of Medicaid patients. He previously worked for the World Bank Institute AIDS program and was a health consultant at McKinsey & Company.

Harris said in a press release that he is honored to lead the state program, which serves 1 million enrollees, including children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities, at a "pivotal moment" in its history.

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

A look at the morning's top health industry news.

Changing politics: As more doctors forgo a private practice to become a salaried hospital employee and more women are graduating from medical school, doctors' politics are changing. Gardiner Harris of the New York Times writes that, across the country, doctors are focusing more on public health and less on health care reimbursement rates. And while medical associations and individual doctors have long allied themselves predominantly with Republicans, one Maine lobbyist said he is spending more time these days strategizing with Democrats.

By Jenifer McKim, Globe Staff

Massachusetts charities soon may be limited in how they are able to compensate their board members following legislation approved by the state Senate late Thursday.

Sen. Mark Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat, said today that the amendment would prohibit public charities in the state from paying their directors without first gaining approval from the state Attorney General's Office. The proposed law would also allow the AG to reject any approval if the pay were deemed unreasonable.

The amendment was based on legislation filed in April by Montigny and Attorney General Martha Coakley, and was included in the Senate's version of the state budget, now heading to conference committee.

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

Readers are talking about a Patrick administration report publicly released yesterday detailing how payments to Massachusetts hospitals for common procedures vary widely. Below are a few highlights from the conversation. Check out the story Globe reporter Liz Kowalczyk's wrote for today's paper and then share your thoughts:

jhencken: There may well be some form of "overcharging" here, and the matter surely should be investigated. But it should not be taken for granted that all hospitals should be charging exactly the same fees for the "same" procedures. The prices of hamburgers varies widely, and few would argue that they're all the same -- even though it might well be argued that a $20 hamburger's price exceeds its "added value," especially in times of scarcity.

By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff

A look at the morning's top health industry news.

Vermont health bill now law: Governor Peter Shumlin yesterday signed a bill to put in motion plans to create a publicly financed, consolidated state health system, often referred to as "single-payer." The change won't happen immediately, Nancy Remsen of the Burlington Free Press reports. Instead the law calls for dozens of studies and creates a new regulatory board to lay the groundwork.