EXPLORER PIPELINE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY
Notes to consolidated financial statements - continued
December 31, 2018
6 - PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
The Company has a defined benefit pension plan covering all employees employed prior to January 1, 2007. The benefits are based on years of service and employee’s compensation.
In addition to the defined benefit pension plan, the Company makes available postretirement medical benefits to all eligible retired employees and their eligible dependents. For the year ended December 31, 2018, participants under the age of 65 were eligible to receive reimbursement through a Health Reimbursement Account for eligible premium expenses associated with health insurance enrollment. For the 2018 Plan Year, eligible retirees were eligible for up to $500 per month of eligibility and eligible retirees plus eligible dependents were eligible for up to $1,200 per month of eligibility. Upon reaching age 65, participants pay all of any Part D Prescription Plan and 30% of the fully insured rate for the cost of medical benefits.
In September 2015, the Company’s board of directors approved to amend the Company’s postretirement plan to no longer include life benefits. In November 2015, the plan was amended and became effective January 1, 2016. Due to this change being approved prior to December 31, 2015, the accrued benefit cost was adjusted and the prior service cost of $4,474,046 is being amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost over the next 2.5 years:
| | | | |
2019 | | $ | 813,463 | |
2020 | | | 813,463 | |
2021 | | | 406,731 | |
For the year ending December 31, 2018 the plan was contributory and participants under age 65 paid approximately 35% of the cost of medical benefits. Upon reaching age 65, participants paid 30% of the cost of medical benefits.
The measurement date used to determine pension and other postretirement benefit obligations and plan assets for the pension plan and the postretirement benefit plan is December 31.
The following table sets forth the plans’ benefit obligations, fair value of plan assets, and funded status at December 31, 2018:
| | | | | | | | |
| | Pension Benefits | | | Postretirement Benefits | |
| | 2018 | | | 2018 | |
Projected benefit obligation | | $ | (38,339,572 | ) | | $ | (10,082,284 | ) |
Fair value of plan assets | | | 29,695,654 | | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | |
Funded status | | $ | (8,643,918 | ) | | $ | (10,082,284 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Accrued benefit cost | | $ | (8,643,918 | ) | | $ | (10,082,284 | ) |
Accrued benefit cost is reflected in other current and othernon-current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.
Accumulated other comprehensive (income)/loss is $6,423,315 related to the plans at December 31, 2018. This amount is primarily comprised of net actuarial loss of $10,410,771 at December 31, 2018.
The accumulated benefit obligation for the pension plan was $33,531,170 at December 31, 2018.
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