Alcoa 2009 Annual Report Download - page 135

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V. Interest Cost Components
2009 2008 2007
Amount charged to expense $470 $407 $401
Amount capitalized 165 167 199
$635 $574 $600
W. Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefits
Alcoa maintains pension plans covering most U.S. employees and certain employees in foreign locations. Pension
benefits generally depend on length of service, job grade, and remuneration. Substantially all benefits are paid through
pension trusts that are sufficiently funded to ensure that all plans can pay benefits to retirees as they become due. Most
U.S. salaried and non-union hourly employees hired after March 1, 2006 participate in a defined contribution plan
instead of a defined benefit plan.
Alcoa also maintains health care and life insurance benefit plans covering eligible U.S. retired employees and certain
retirees from foreign locations. Generally, the medical plans pay a percentage of medical expenses, reduced by
deductibles and other coverages. These plans are generally unfunded, except for certain benefits funded through a trust.
Life benefits are generally provided by insurance contracts. Alcoa retains the right, subject to existing agreements, to
change or eliminate these benefits. All U.S. salaried and certain hourly employees hired after January 1, 2002 are not
eligible for postretirement health care benefits. All U.S. salaried and certain hourly employees that retire on or after
April 1, 2008 are not eligible for postretirement life insurance benefits.
For the year-ended December 31, 2008, Alcoa adopted a change issued by the FASB requiring an employer to measure
the funded status of each of its benefit plans as of the date of its year-end statement of financial position. This provision
resulted in a charge of $9, which was recorded as an adjustment to December 31, 2008 retained earnings. Prior to the
effective date of this change, the funded status of most of Alcoa’s pension and other postretirement benefit plans were
already measured as of December 31st.
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