I am 1000% opposed to a federal mandate. I think it is wrong and oppressive. But I don’t think it is unconstitutional AT THE STATE LEVEL.
Under the Constitution, the states are generally free to conduct their own affairs along Constitutional lines. Gun control is unconstitutional. Abortion is not mentioned in the Constitution, though it is hard to imagine that the Founders would approve of it.
Some states have better laws than others. The beauty of living in the USA is that we are free to live in whichever state we choose and still enjoy the benefits of living in America.
When things are done at the Federal level, we have no such option. The Federal mandate is unconstitutional. The state mandate, while shitty, is Massachusetts problem. The people of that state can vote it out if they don’t like it, or move.
Hope that clarifies my point.
Yes, that's the genius of a federal system. States can experiment with programs, and others can learn from their successes and failures. It's obvious that RomneyCare has been a spectacular failure in Massachusetts, but as you said that's their problem not mine or yours. On the other hand, Wisconsin and several other states led the way in welfare reform back in the early 90s and their successes helped drive the federal reform in 1996.