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Employee Benefits
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]  
Employee Benefits [Text Block]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
The Company provides pension and other postretirement benefits to certain employees through three retiree benefit plans: the QEP Resources, Inc. Retirement Plan (the Pension Plan), the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (the SERP), and a postretirement medical plan (the Medical Plan).

The Pension Plan is a closed, qualified, defined-benefit pension plan that is funded and provides pension benefits to certain QEP employees. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company made contributions of $2.5 million to the Pension Plan and expects to contribute an additional $2.5 million to the Pension Plan during the remainder of 2019. Contributions to the Pension Plan increase plan assets. The Pension Plan was amended in June 2015 and was frozen effective January 1, 2016, such that employees do not earn additional defined benefits for future services.

The SERP is a nonqualified retirement plan that is unfunded and provides pension benefits to certain QEP employees. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company made contributions of $0.1 million to its SERP and expects to contribute an additional $0.3 million to its SERP during the remainder of 2019. Contributions to the SERP are used to fund current benefit payments. The SERP was amended and restated in June 2015 and was closed to new participants effective January 1, 2016.

The Medical Plan is a self-insured plan. It is unfunded and provides other postretirement benefits including certain health care and life insurance benefits for certain retired QEP employees. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company made contributions of $0.1 million to the Medical Plan and expects to contribute $0.1 million to the Medical Plan during the remainder of 2019. Contributions to the Medical Plan are used to fund current benefit payments.

In February 2017, the Company changed the eligibility requirements for active employees eligible for the Medical Plan, as well as retirees currently enrolled. Effective July 1, 2017, the Company no longer offers the Medical Plan to retirees and spouses that are both Medicare eligible. In addition, the Company no longer offers life insurance to individuals retiring on or after July 1, 2017.

The Company's implementation of its strategic initiatives may trigger curtailments related to the Pension Plan, SERP and/or Medical Plan at the closing of the various transactions. Refer to Note 9 – Restructuring for more information. The Company recognized a $0.5 million pension curtailment gain as part of the Haynesville Divestiture included in "Interest and other income (expense)" and "Net gain (loss) from asset sales, inclusive of restructuring costs" on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The Company recognizes service costs related to SERP and Medical Plan benefits on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "General and administrative" expense. All other expenses related to the Pension Plan, SERP and Medical Plan are recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "Interest and other income (expense)".

The following table sets forth the Company's net periodic benefit costs related to its Pension Plan, SERP and Medical Plan:
 
Three Months Ended
 
March 31,
 
2019
 
2018
Pension Plan and SERP benefits
(in millions)
Service cost
$
0.1

 
$
0.2

Interest cost
1.2

 
1.1

Expected return on plan assets
(1.5
)
 
(1.4
)
Amortization of prior service costs(1)
0.1

 
0.2

Amortization of actuarial losses(1)
0.1

 
0.3

Curtailment (gain) loss(2)
0.3

 
—

Periodic expense
$
0.3

 
$
0.4

 
 
 
 
Medical Plan benefits
 
 
 
Amortization of prior service costs(1)
$
—

 
$
(0.1
)
Curtailment (gain) loss(2)
(0.8
)
 
—

Periodic expense
$
(0.8
)
 
$
(0.1
)

____________________________
(1) 
Amortization of prior service costs and actuarial losses out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "Interest and other income (expense)".
(2) 
A curtailment is recognized when there is a significant reduction in, or an elimination of, defined benefit accruals for current employees' future services. The net curtailment gain between the SERP and Medical Plan of $0.5 million is related to the Haynesville Divestiture. Of the $0.5 million curtailment gain recognized, $0.3 million was recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "Interest and other income (expense)" and $0.2 million was recognized on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations within "Net gain (loss) from asset sales, inclusive of restructuring costs" for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Employee Investment Plan
QEP employees may participate in the QEP Employee Investment Plan, a defined-contribution plan (the 401(k) Plan). The 401(k) Plan allows eligible employees to make investments, including purchasing shares of QEP common stock, through payroll deduction at the current fair market value on the transaction date. Both employees and QEP make contributions to the 401(k) Plan. The Company may contribute a discretionary portion beyond the Company's matching contribution to employees not in the Pension Plan or SERP. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company made contributions of $1.8 million to the 401(k) Plan and expects to contribute an additional $3.1 million to the 401(k) Plan during the remainder of 2019. The Company recognizes expense equal to its yearly contributions. Due to the Company's strategic initiatives, the amount expected to be contributed to the 401(k) Plan is subject to change. Refer to Note 9 – Restructuring for more information.

As a result of freezing benefits under the Pension Plan, the 401(k) Plan and a nonqualified, unfunded deferred compensation plan (the Wrap Plan) were amended to allow the Company to make discretionary contributions in the form of Company Transition Credits to eligible participants. Eligible participants are certain highly and non-highly compensated employees who were active participants in the Pension Plan on December 31, 2015. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company did not make a discretionary contribution to active participants of the Pension Plan but expects to contribute $0.1 million to eligible participants during the fourth quarter of 2019.