Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements continued Obligations and Funded Status (dollars in millions) Pension Health Care and Life At December 31, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Change in Benefit Obligations Beginning of year $ 21,112 $ 22,016 $ 19,650 $ 24,223 Service cost 280 322 149 193 Interest cost 683 677 659 746 Plan amendments — 428 (545) (5,142) Actuarial loss, net 1,377 1,017 627 1,289 Benefits paid (1,932) (938) (1,080) (1,349) Curtailment and termination benefits 11 4 — — Settlements paid — (1,270) — — Divestiture (Note 2) — (1,144) — (310) End of year $ 21,531 $ 21,112 $ 19,460 $ 19,650 Change in Plan Assets Beginning of year $ 14,663 $ 16,124 $ 1,363 $ 1,760 Actual return on plan assets 2,342 882 134 35 Company contributions 4,141 837 702 917 Benefits paid (1,932) (938) (1,080) (1,349) Settlements paid — (1,270) — — Divestiture (Note 2) (39) (972) — — End of year $ 19,175 $ 14,663 $ 1,119 $ 1,363 Funded Status End of year $ (2,356) $ (6,449) $ (18,341) $ (18,287) As a result of the Access Line Sale, which closed on April 1, 2016, we derecognized $0.7 billion of defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plan obligations related to assets held for sale on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2016. See Note 2 for additional information. (dollars in millions) Pension Health Care and Life At December 31, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Amounts recognized on the balance sheet Noncurrent assets $ 21 $ 2 $ — $ — Current liabilities (63) (88) (637) (639) Noncurrent liabilities (2,314) (6,363) (17,704) (17,648) Total $(2,356) $(6,449) $(18,341) $(18,287) Amounts recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Pre-tax) Prior Service Cost (Benefit) $ 404 $ 443 $ (5,667) $ (6,072) Total $ 404 $ 443 $ (5,667) $ (6,072) The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans was $21.5 billion and $21.1 billion at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. 2017 Postretirement Plan Amendments During 2017, amendments were made to certain postretirement plans related to retiree medical benefits for management and certain union represented employees and retirees. The impact of the plan amendments was a reduction in our postretirement benefit plan obligations of approximately $0.5 billion, which has been recorded as a net increase to Accumulated other comprehensive income of $0.3 billion (net of taxes of $0.2 billion). The impact of the amount recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income that will be reclassified to net periodic benefit cost is insignificant. 2017 Annual Report | Verizon Communications Inc. and Subsidiaries 83