BENEFIT PLANS

We have funded defined benefit plans in Japan and the United States, which cover substantially all of our full-time employees. Additionally, we maintain non-qualified, unfunded supplemental retirement plans that provide defined pension benefits in excess of limits imposed by federal tax law for certain Japanese, U.S. and former employees. Effective October 1, 2013, the U.S. tax-qualified defined benefit plan was frozen to new employees hired on or after October 1, 2013 and to employees rehired on or after October 1, 2013. U.S. employees who are not participants in the defined benefit plan receive a nonelective 401(k) employer contribution. Additionally, effective January 1, 2015, the U.S. non-qualified supplemental retirement plan was frozen to new participants.

We provide certain health care benefits for eligible U.S. retired employees, their beneficiaries and covered dependents ("other postretirement benefits"). The health care plan is contributory and unfunded. Effective January 1, 2014, employees eligible for benefits included the following: (1) active employees whose age plus service, in years, equaled or exceeded 80 (rule of 80); (2) active employees who were age 55 or older and have met the 15 years of service requirement; (3) active employees who would meet the rule of 80 in the next five years; (4) active employees who were age 55 or older and who would meet the 15 years of service requirement within the next five years; and (5) current retirees. For certain employees and former employees, additional coverage is provided for all medical expenses for life.

Pension and other postretirement benefit expenses, included in acquisition and operating expenses in the consolidated statement of earnings, included the following components:



	Three Months Ended March 31,
	Pension Benefits																Other
	Japan								U.S.								Postretirement Benefits
(In millions)	2016				2015				2016				2015				2016				2015
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost		$	4			$	4			$	6			$	6			$	0			$	0
Interest cost		2				2				8				8				0				1
Expected return on plan assets		(1		)		(1		)		(6		)		(6		)		0				0
Amortization of net actuarial loss		0				0				3				4				0				0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		0				0				0				0				(3		)		(4		)
Net periodic (benefit) cost		$	5			$	5			$	11			$	12			$	(3	)		$	(3	)

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, Aflac Japan contributed approximately $5 million (using the weighted-average yen/dollar exchange rate for the three-month period ending March 31, 2016) to the Japanese funded defined benefit plan, and Aflac U.S. did not make a contribution to the U.S. funded defined benefit plan.

For additional information regarding our Japanese and U.S. benefit plans, see Note 14 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our annual report to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2015.