Most small businesses either incorrectly believe or aren’t surewhether they must provide health insurance to employees in 2014,according to a survey of small business owners by eHealth.

Beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable CareAct requires businesses with the equivalent of 50 or more full-timeemployees to provide health coverage for their workers. Businesseswith fewer than 50 employees are exempt from this requirement,although employees may be required to purchase their owncoverage.

The eHealthInsurance survey was conducted in August and receivedresponses from 439 small businesses.

Based on their size (fewer than 50 employees), only two of thebusinesses surveyed would be required by the PPACA to offer healthinsurance coverage to employees in 2014. But one-third incorrectlybelieved that they were required to buy insurance for employees in2014, while 35 percent weren’t sure. Nearly 70 percent eitherincorrectly believed or were not sure whether they would berequired to pay a tax for not providing health insurance in 2014.Only 31 percent of respondents correctly said that the reform lawdoes not require them to pay a tax if they don’t offerinsurance.

Another main part of health reform—health insuranceexchanges—isn’t factoring into employers’ strategies. Most smallbusiness owners (78 percent) said they weren’t familiar with healthinsurance exchanges and how they could impact their business.Exchanges, which are slated to come online by 2014, would makesubsidized health insurance available to individuals who don’t haveaccess to health insurance through an employer

The eHealth poll is yet another survey reporting similarfindings: Health reform is confusing both employees and theiremployers.

Though the Supreme Court upheld the PPACA in June, manyemployers continued their wait-and-see approach until after thepresidential election. Republican Mitt Romney had promised that hewould work on repeal of the law if elected.

The survey also found that nearly a third of small businesses(29 percent) said they would consider dropping coverage for theiremployees in 2014. The majority, at 68 percent, said they don’thave plans to do so, while 3 percent said they planned to stopoffering coverage.

The survey also addressed their willingness to adopt newcost-cutting strategies.

To reduce costs, more than half (51 percent) said they wouldincrease employees’ share of premiums. Nearly 40 percent wouldconsider increasing employees’ deductibles. Nearly half of theemployers surveyed (44 percent) felt it would be fair to imposepenalties on employees who don’t participate in wellnessprograms.