“There’s no way we could ­afford to pay $2,000 per employee,” he said. “We’re out of business at that point.”

Of the approximately 188,000 employers in Massachusetts, nearly 3,000, or less than 2 percent, have paid penalties for not complying with the state health insurance law.

Another 2014 change: Small businesses with 25 or fewer employees who make less than $50,000 a year will be eligible for larger tax credits (50 percent for for-profits and 35 percent for nonprofits) if they purchase group insurance through an exchange.

Farther down the road, employers with full-time staffs of more than 200 will be required to automatically enroll new workers in health insurance plans.