Health care accounts for a remarkably large slice of the U.S. economic pie. Each year health-related spending grows, often outpacing spending on other goods and services, meaning that the size of that slice increases. These cost increases have a significant effect on households, businesses, and government programs.

Virtually all communities in California now have an abundance of H1N1 vaccine, the state health officer said Thursday.

Dr. Mark Horton said in a conference call that California has received about 15 million doses of the vaccine, approximately two-thirds of the supply the state is expected to get of the H1N1 vaccine this season. Almost all jurisdictions are reporting that they have enough vaccine to inoculate the general public, instead of just the priority groups most at risk for H1N1, also known as the swine flu.

Since California is the size of a small country, the impact of the federal reform will be enormous.

"We have more workers who are uninsured, we have more people who are low-wage workers who need subsidies to afford coverage," health care advocate Anthony Wright said.