Most employers intend to continue offering health benefits to their workers rather than encouraging them to buy coverage via state health insurance exchanges when they start operating in 2014, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The “Health Care Reform Survey 2010,” by New York-based Willis Human Capital Practice and Diamond Management & Technology Consultants Inc., found that 55% of employers plan to maintain their health plans in 2014 even if the state exchanges, established in response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, offer competitively priced coverage.

In fact, just 12% of the employers responding to the survey said they would be very or somewhat likely to pay the $2,000 penalty per employee and direct workers to the state exchanges, while 62% said they would be very or somewhat likely to invest in the requisite employer-sponsored group health plan to avoid any penalties.

The survey also found that 88% of employers believe group health plan costs will increase as a result of PPACA mandates. In particular, 76% said they expect administrative compliance costs will increase, while 53% said the adult child coverage mandate will increase plan costs by 1% or more, and 52% anticipate there will be an increase in the number of employees covered, thereby increasing plan costs.

Currently, 83% of employers require at least 30 hours of work per week to be eligible for benefits, a requirement under PPACA.

And though PPACA prohibits lifetime and annual dollar limits on health care benefits, the Willis/Diamond survey found that 62% of responding employers have lifetime limits for benefits, while 39% have annual limits.

The survey also found that most employers do not believe that the health care reform legislation will reduce the pace of rising health care costs and are likely to seek specialized advisers to help them mitigate cost trends. While 69% said they would turn to their brokers for such assistance, 24% said they would seek help of a specialized consultant, 4% plan to rely on their health plan provider and 3% plan to use another type of outside resource.

Surveyed employers said they would be very or somewhat likely to use several options to maintain their health plans, including increasing employee contributions, cited by 85%; increasing spousal and/or dependent contributions, cited by 79%; reducing benefits or purchasing lowest-cost coverage, cited by 62%.

“Early impressions suggest that the majority of employers do not plan to abandon their employer-sponsored group medical plans in 2014 when the state exchanges become available. This points to the commitment employers have toward employees,” Pete Gruenberg, chief placement officer of Willis Human Capital Practice, a unit of Willis Group Holdings P.L.C., said in a statement.

“However, rising costs associated with health care reform are a major concern, and many employers are looking for ways to offset any resulting cost increases,” Mr. Gruenberg said.

The survey, which was conducted between Aug. 23 and Sept. 3, included responses from 1,400 employers of varying sizes, industry sectors and geographies that provide coverage to 9 million individuals. The majority of employers responding to the survey, 829, provide fully insured group coverage; 435 have self-insured plans with stop-loss coverage; and 107 are fully self-insured. Sixteen respondents said they financed their health benefits in some other way that was not specified.

The survey is available online at www.willis.com.