The Federal Government does not have the police power, at least not on given by the Constitutions, but Roberts would have us believe there is. A state can require health insurance, which is Romney’s best defence of what he did. But as the United States is not a unitary state, nor a monarchy like Canada and the UK, nothing in the Constitution gives the Congress such a power.
I agree with your assessment.
The individual States could require it under the 10th; but that is hardly the issue...
What a mess!