Table of Contents Note I. Benefit Plans Pension and Postretirement Health Care Benefit Plans 112 CNA sponsors noncontributory defined benefit pension plans, primarily through the CNA Retirement Plan, covering certain eligible employees. These plans are closed to new entrants. CNA's funding policy for defined benefit pension plans is to make contributions in accordance with applicable governmental regulatory requirements with consideration of the funded status of the plans. Effective January 1, 2000, the CNA Retirement Plan was closed to new participants. Existing participants at that time were given a choice to either continue to accrue benefits under the CNA Retirement Plan or to cease accruals effective December 31, 1999. Employees who chose to continue to accrue benefits under the plan received benefits in accordance with plan provisions through June 30, 2015 as discussed further below. Participants who elected to cease accruals effective December 31, 1999 received the present value of their accrued benefit in an accrued pension account that is credited with interest based on the annual rate of interest on 30-year Treasury securities. These employees also receive certain enhanced employer contributions in the CNA 401(k) Plus Plan. Effective June 30, 2015, the Company eliminated future benefit accruals associated with the CNA Retirement Plan. Participants continuing to accrue benefits under the CNA Retirement Plan at that time are entitled to an accrued benefit payable based on their eligible compensation and accrued service through June 30, 2015. These affected participants now also receive enhanced employer contributions in the CNA 401(k) Plus Plan similar to participants who elected to cease accruals effective December 31, 1999. Employees who elected to cease accruals effective December 31, 1999 were not affected by this curtailment. CNA provides certain postretirement health care benefits to eligible retired employees, their covered dependents and their beneficiaries primarily through the CNA Health and Group Benefits Program. These postretirement benefits have largely been eliminated for active employees.