Setback for ACA?

The White House announced today that the ACA employer mandate, which requires companies with 50 or more employees to offer health insurance or face penalties, will be delayed one year to 2015. What will happen to these individuals?  Will they purchase coverage through the health insurance exchanges, which are supposed to "go-live" October of this year?  And is this really an indicator for the law's eventual repeal, which many Republicans are hoping for?  You can read more here.