9. Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions

The Company sponsors unfunded defined benefit postretirement health care and life insurance plans for certain employees. The Company contributes toward the cost of health insurance benefits and contributes the full cost of providing life insurance benefits. In order to be eligible for these postretirement benefits, an employee must retire after attainment of age 55 and completion of 15 years of service, or attainment of age 65 and completion of 10 years of service. The Company’s Benefits Trust Committee determines retiree premiums.

In connection with the Company’s transition to a REIT, the Company changed the benefits that will be available to retirees as of January 1, 2013. As a result of this amendment, the Company’s benefit obligation decreased $2.8 million and $16.5 million, respectively, during 2013 and 2012.

The following table reconciles the change in benefit obligation of the postretirement plans to the accrued postretirement liability as reflected in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at December 31 (amounts in thousands):


	2013			2012
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	8,747		$	24,621
Service cost		—			42
Interest cost		194			790
Actuarial loss		319			958
Amendments		(2,828	)		(16,508	)
Benefits paid		(584	)		(1,156	)

Benefit obligation at end of year	$	5,848		$	8,747

Net postretirement benefit expense reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations included the following components for the years ended December 31 (amounts in thousands):


	2013			2012			2011
Service cost	$	—		$	42		$	46
Interest cost		194			790			1,052
Amortization of net actuarial loss		477			491			2
Amortization of prior service credit		(1,331	)		(682	)		(678	)
Curtailment gain		—			(310	)		—

Net postretirement benefit expense	$	(660	)	$	331		$	422

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation at December 31 are as follows:


	2013			2012			2011
Discount rate		3.94	%		3.08	%		4.21	%
Measurement date		12/31/2013			12/31/2012			12/31/2011

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net postretirement benefit expense for years ended December 31 are as follows:


	2013			2012			2011
Discount rate		3.08	%		3.92	%		5.29	%
Measurement date		12/31/2013			12/31/2012			12/31/2011

The Company expects to contribute $0.6 million to the plan in 2014. Based on the Company’s assumptions discussed above, the Company expects to make the following estimated future benefit payments under the plan during the years ending December 31 (amounts in thousands):


2014	$	623
2015		593
2016		564
2017		537
2018		497
2019-2023		2,042

The net loss, amortization of net loss, and amortization of prior service credit recognized in other comprehensive income for 2013 was $0.3 million, $0.5 million, and $1.3 million, respectively. Included in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2013 are the following amounts that have not yet been recognized in net postretirement benefit expense: unrecognized actuarial losses of $6.3 million ($3.9 million net of tax) and unrecognized prior service credits of $17.7 million ($10.8 million net of tax). The net loss, amortization of net loss, prior service credit, amortization of prior service credit, and curtailment gain recognized in other comprehensive income for 2012 was $1.0 million, $0.5 million, $16.5 million, $0.7 million, and $0.3 million, respectively. Included in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2012 are the following amounts that have not yet been recognized in net postretirement benefit expense: unrecognized actuarial losses of $6.5 million ($4.2 million net of tax) and unrecognized prior service credits of $16.2 million ($10.4 million net of tax). The net loss and prior service credit for the postretirement plans included in accumulated other comprehensive loss that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net postretirement benefit expense over the next fiscal year is $0.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively.

The Company amended the plans effective December 31, 2001 such that only retirees currently receiving benefits under the plans and active employees whose age plus years of service total at least 60 and who have at least 10 years of service as of December 31, 2001 remain eligible.