Postretirement Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]

Postretirement Benefit Plans

9. POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

We sponsor a number of pension and retiree health and life insurance benefit plans. Principal pension plans include the GE Pension Plan and the GE Supplementary Pension Plan. Principal retiree benefit plans generally provide health and life insurance benefits to employees who retire under the GE Pension Plan with 10 or more years of service. Salaried employees who commence service on or after January 1, 2011and any employee who commences service on or after January 1, 2012will not be eligible to participate in the GE Pension Plan, but will participate in a defined contribution retirement plan. Other pension plans include the U.S. and non-U.S. pension plans with pension assets or obligations greater than $50 million. Smaller pension plans and other retiree benefit plans are not material individually or in the aggregate. The effect on operations of the pension plans follows.

	Principal Pension Plans
	Three months ended September 30				Nine months ended September 30
(In millions)	2012		2011		2012		2011
Service cost for benefits earned	$	356	$	296	$	1,044	$	857
Prior service cost amortization		70		49		210		144
Expected return on plan assets		(939)		(984)		(2,830)		(2,953)
Interest cost on benefit obligation		619		665		1,858		1,995
Net actuarial loss amortization		855		584		2,565		1,752
Pension plans cost	$	961	$	610	$	2,847	$	1,795

	Other Pension Plans
	Three months ended September 30				Nine months ended September 30
(In millions)	2012		2011		2012		2011
Service cost for benefits earned	$	98	$	70	$	292	$	210
Prior service cost amortization		1		4		3		12
Expected return on plan assets		(155)		(151)		(467)		(451)
Interest cost on benefit obligation		128		131		385		387
Net actuarial loss amortization		69		34		209		103
Pension plans cost	$	141	$	88	$	422	$	261

The effect on operations of principal retiree health and life insurance plans follows.

	Principal Retiree Health
	and Life Insurance Plans
	Three months ended September 30				Nine months ended September 30
(In millions)	2012		2011		2012		2011
Service cost for benefits earned	$	58	$	48	$	168	$	140
Prior service cost amortization		126		163		418		482
Expected return on plan assets		(19)		(24)		(56)		(72)
Interest cost on benefit obligation		123		151		381		452
Net actuarial loss / (gain) amortization		8		(27)		8		(83)
Net curtailment / other gain		(39)		0		(39)		0
Retiree benefit plans cost	$	257	$	311	$	880	$	919

In September 2012, the Company's Board of Directors approved a plan amendment that affects retiree health and life benefit eligibility for certain salaried plan participants. The postretirement benefit plan obligations were remeasured to reflect these plan changes, reducing the obligations by approximately $450 million.