Pension Benefits and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

We have three qualified noncontributory defined benefit pension plans: 1) the Rogers Corporation Employee’s Pension Plan for unionized hourly employees (the Union Plan); 2) the Rogers Corporation Defined Benefit Pension Plan for all other U.S. employees hired before December 31, 2007 who are salaried employees or non-union hourly employees (the Rogers Plan); and 3) the Hourly Employees Pension Plan of Arlon Inc., Microwave Material and Silicone Technologies Divisions, Bear, Delaware for employees of the acquired Arlon business (the Bear Plan). The Company also maintains the Rogers Corporation Amended and Restated Pension Restoration Plan effective as of January 1, 2004 and the Rogers Corporation Amended and Restated Pension Restoration Plan effective as of January 1, 2005 (collectively, the Nonqualified Plans). The Nonqualified Plans serve to restore certain retirement benefits that might otherwise be lost due to limitations imposed by federal law on qualified pension plans, as well as to provide supplemental retirement benefits, for certain senior executives of the Company. In addition, we sponsor multiple fully insured or self-funded medical plans and life insurance plans for certain retirees. The measurement date for all plans is December 31 for each respective plan year.

Components of Net Periodic (Benefit) Cost

The components of net periodic (benefit) cost for the periods indicated were:



(Dollars in thousands)	Pension Benefits												Retirement Health and Life Insurance Benefits
(Dollars in thousands)	Quarter Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,						Quarter Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
Change in benefit obligation:	2017			2016			2017			2016			2017			2016			2017			2016
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	12		$	37		$	68		$	111
Interest cost	1,837			1,872			5,519			5,658			20			19			51			57
Expected return on plan assets	(2,302		)	(2,698		)	(6,920		)	(8,110		)	—			—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	—			—			—			—			(411		)	(373		)	(1,191		)	(1,119		)
Amortization of net loss (gain)	445			445			1,311			1,339			16			(19		)	(15		)	(57		)
Net periodic (benefit) cost	$	(20	)	$	(381	)	$	(90	)	$	(1,113	)	$	(363	)	$	(336	)	$	(1,087	)	$	(1,008	)

Employer Contributions

We made required contributions of $0.4 million and $0.3 million to our qualified defined benefit pension plans in the first nine months of 2017 and 2016, respectively. We are not required to make additional contributions to these plans in 2017.

In the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, we did not make any voluntary contributions to our defined benefit pension plans.

As there is no funding requirement for the non-qualified unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan or the retiree health and life insurance benefit plans, benefit payments made during the year are funded directly by the Company.

Pension Plan Merger and Proposed Termination

In October 2017, the Company merged the Rogers Plan and the Bear Plan (the Merged Plan). The Company currently intends to terminate the Merged Plan and has requested a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The termination of the Merged Plan remains subject to final approval by both management and the IRS. The Company plans to provide for lump sum distributions or annuity payments in connection with the termination of the Merged Plan and we expect the settlement process to be completed in late 2018 or early 2019. The Company lacks sufficient information as of September 30, 2017 to determine the financial impact of the proposed plan termination. The actuarial assumptions used to calculate pension cost and true-up the pension liability are reviewed annually and will be updated at December 31, 2017. At this time, there are no plans to terminate the remaining Union Plan.