Obama administration officials announced late Tuesday that a main requirement of health care reform would be delayed one year.
The so-called employer mandate, which requires companies with 50 or more workers to offer affordable insurance or pay a fine of as much as $3,000 per employee, will go into effect in 2015 instead of 2014.
The Treasury Department, which made the announcement, said in a statement that the postponement came after business owners expressed concerns about the complexity of the law's reporting requirements.
Every American will be required to carry insurance or pay a penalty when the health law goes into full effect in 2014. The employer mandate delay will not affect this provision or any other aspects of the law, according to officials.
