Few job sectors are as indispensible and secure as the healthcare industry. People will always rely on a network of doctors, nurses, administrators and aides when their health is in danger, and as the U.S. Baby Boom population ages, these practitioners have seen an upsurge in demand. To make the field more secure, the Obama administration's healthcare reform legislation may further boost the need for these professionals as more Americans get health insurance.

On May 11, the administration filed its defense against the handful of state lawsuits that challenge the healthcare overhaul, the Associated Press reports.

In a 46-page brief, lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department claimed that Congress acted within its power to regulate interstate commerce and provide for the public's welfare when it passed the landmark reform bill.

"Individual decisions to forgo insurance coverage, in the aggregate, substantially affect interstate commerce by shifting costs to healthcare providers and the public," the filing stated.

Opponents to the bill chiefly argue that the provision to require every American to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional. While this measure would ensure that more Americans are covered, it may also contribute to a rising demand for healthcare providers.

The healthcare sector will generate about 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018, according to government statistics.