EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Defined contribution plans

We sponsor defined contribution retirement plans in which the majority of employees are eligible to participate. Our contributions to the defined contribution plans were $3.0 million, $2.7 million, and $2.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Pension plans

We sponsor a defined benefit pension plan and a supplemental defined benefit pension plan for certain employees of the SemCAMS segment hired before June 30, 2001 (the “SemCAMS Plans”). Additionally, as part of the acquisition discussed in Note 5, we now sponsor a defined benefit pension plan for the employees of the HFOTCO segment and a supplemental defined benefit benefit plan covering a former key executive of the HFOTCO segment (the “HFOTCO Plans”). These plans are closed to new participants and do not accrue any additional benefits (collectively, the "Pension Plans").

We recognize the funded status of the Pension Plans, measured as the difference between the fair value of the plan assets and the projected benefit obligation, in the consolidated balance sheets. The table below summarizes the balances of the projected benefit obligation and fair value of the plan assets at December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):



	December 31,
	2017			2016
Projected benefit obligation	$	53,489		$	25,675
Fair value of plan assets	43,098			22,961
Funded status:	$	(10,391	)	$	(2,714	)

We recorded other noncurrent liabilities of $2.3 million and $2.7 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, to reflect the funded status of the SemCAMS Plans.

We recorded other noncurrent liabilities of $8.1 million at December 31, 2017 to reflect the funded status of the HFOTCO Plans.

All of the SemCAMS Plans' assets are invested in pooled funds that hold highly-liquid securities and are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Substantially all of the HFOTCO Plans' assets are invested in mutual funds for which the fair values are determined by quoted prices in active markets and are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy. The following information discloses the fair values of our Pension Plans' assets, by asset category, for the periods indicated (in thousands):



	December 31, 2017								December 31, 2016
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Cash and cash equivalents	$	538	$	—	$	—	$	538	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Mutual funds	16,671		—		—		16,671		—		—		—		—
Pooled mutual funds	—		25,889		—		25,889		—		22,961		—		22,961
Total	$	17,209	$	25,889	$	—	$	43,098	$	—	$	22,961	$	—	$	22,961

We record changes in the funded status of the Pension Plans to other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes. These amounts were a loss of $0.3 million, a loss of $1.1 million and a gain of $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Retiree medical plan

We sponsor an unfunded, post-employment health benefit plan (the “Health Plan”) for certain employees of the SemCAMS segment. The projected benefit obligation related to the Health Plan was $1.7 million at December 31, 2017 and $1.5 million at December 31, 2016, and is reported within "other noncurrent liabilities" on the consolidated balance sheets.