Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

The components of net periodic benefit cost were as follows:



	First quarter ended
	March 31,
	2019			2018
Pension benefits
Service cost	$	7		$	20
Interest cost	59			55
Expected return on plan assets	(72		)	(77		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	35			42
Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)	—			1
Settlements	2			—
Curtailments	—			5
Net periodic benefit cost⁽¹⁾	$	31		$	46

Other postretirement benefits
Service cost	$	2		$	2
Interest cost	7			7
Recognized net actuarial loss	1			2
Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)	(1		)	(2		)
Curtailments	(58		)	—
Net periodic benefit cost⁽¹⁾	$	(49	)	$	9


⁽¹⁾	Service cost was included within Cost of goods sold, Selling, general administrative, and other expenses, and Research and development expenses; curtailments were included in Restructuring and other charges; and all other cost components were recorded in Other expense, net in the Statement of Consolidated Operations.

In the first quarter of 2019, the Company communicated to plan participants that, effective May 1, 2019, it will eliminate the life insurance benefit for its U.S. salaried and non-bargained hourly retirees of the Company and its subsidiaries. As a result of this change, in the first quarter of 2019, the Company recorded a decrease to the Accrued other postretirement benefits liability of $63 which was offset by a curtailment benefit of $58 in Restructuring and other charges and $5 in Accumulated other comprehensive loss.

Additionally, in the first quarter of 2019, the Company communicated to plan participants that, effective December 31, 2019, it will eliminate certain health care subsidies for its U.S. salaried and non-bargained hourly retirees of the Company and its subsidiaries. As a result of this change, in the first quarter of 2019, the Company recorded a decrease to the Accrued other postretirement benefits liability of $12 which was offset in Accumulated other comprehensive loss.

In the first quarter of 2019, the Company applied settlement accounting to a U.S. pension plan due to lump sum payments to participants which resulted in a settlement charge of $2 that was recorded in Restructuring and other charges.

On April 1, 2018, benefit accruals for future service and compensation under all of the Company's qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans for U.S. salaried and non-bargaining hourly employees ceased. As a result of this change, in the first quarter of 2018, the Company recorded a decrease to the Accrued pension benefit liability of $136 related to the reduction of future benefits ($141 offset in Accumulated other comprehensive loss) and curtailment charges of $5 in Restructuring and other charges.

During the third quarter of 2016, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation approved management’s plan to separate the Alcoa Inc. pension plans between Arconic Inc. and Alcoa Corporation. The plan stipulated that Arconic make cash contributions of $150 over a period of 30 months (from November 1, 2016) to its two largest pension plans. The Company satisfied the requirements of the plan by making payments of $34, $66, and $50 in April 2019, March 2018, and April 2017, respectively.