Actually the state governments have had their chance to properly regulate health care, and have failed. Otherwise we would not be at the state of things which we are. Hartford , Connecticut is the insurance capital of the world. Every major insurance carrier has an office there. Each year they are required to file their rates with the state insurance commissioner, and every year the insurance commissioner rubber stamps it no matter how exorbitant.

If we are going to have a universal health care plan then I think uniform regulation is required throughout the 50 states. In effect there already exists a voluntary federal regulation for employee health care plans through ERISA. The statute was designed to make administration of employee health care easier through compliance to a single federal law rather than forcing an employer to comply with a patchwork of state laws. Through ERISA the employer engaged in interstate commerce  is able to institute its own pension/employee benefits  plan and opt out of state regulation in favor of federal regulation.