7:RETIREMENT BENEFITS

CMS Energy and Consumers provide pension, OPEB, and other retirement benefits to employees under a number of different plans.

Presented in the following table are the costs incurred in CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ retirement benefits plans:

Effective July 1, 2013, CMS Energy and Consumers approved a change to the Medicare drug program provided through their OPEB Plan from an employer-sponsored prescription drug plan with a retiree drug subsidy to an EGWP to begin on January 1, 2015.  Also effective July 1, 2013, CMS Energy and Consumers approved certain benefit changes to the OPEB Plan, to begin on January 1, 2016.  Accordingly, CMS Energy and Consumers performed a remeasurement of the OPEB Plan as of July 1, 2013.  In addition, with the plan remeasurement, the discount rate used to measure the OPEB liability was increased from 4.4 percent at December 31, 2012 to 5.1 percent at July 1, 2013.  Assumptions regarding the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the health-care cost trend rate did not change from December 31, 2012 levels.

As a result of these changes, CMS Energy’s (including Consumers’) OPEB liability decreased by $638 million, its OPEB regulatory asset of $580 million was eliminated, and an OPEB regulatory liability of $34 million was established as of July 1, 2013.  CMS Energy’s accumulated other comprehensive loss decreased by $24 million.  CMS Energy’s (including Consumers’) OPEB cost is expected to decrease by $48 million in 2013.  Consumers’ OPEB liability decreased by $614 million, its OPEB regulatory asset of $580 million was eliminated, and an OPEB regulatory liability of $34 million was established as of July 1, 2013.  Consumers’ OPEB cost is expected to decrease by $46 million in 2013.

CMS Energy and Consumers also remeasured certain deferred tax assets as a result of the approved change to the Medicare drug program.  Effective January 2015, CMS Energy and Consumers will no longer receive Medicare Part D drug subsidies.  Accordingly, CMS Energy (including Consumers) decreased its deferred tax assets by $148 million, reduced its regulatory income tax liabilities by $144 million, and increased its income tax expense by $4 million.  Consumers decreased its deferred tax assets by $144 million, and reduced its regulatory income tax liabilities by an equal amount. 

7:RETIREMENT BENEFITS

CMS Energy and Consumers provide pension, OPEB, and other retirement benefits to employees under a number of different plans.

Presented in the following table are the costs incurred in CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ retirement benefits plans:

Effective July 1, 2013, CMS Energy and Consumers approved a change to the Medicare drug program provided through their OPEB Plan from an employer-sponsored prescription drug plan with a retiree drug subsidy to an EGWP to begin on January 1, 2015.  Also effective July 1, 2013, CMS Energy and Consumers approved certain benefit changes to the OPEB Plan, to begin on January 1, 2016.  Accordingly, CMS Energy and Consumers performed a remeasurement of the OPEB Plan as of July 1, 2013.  In addition, with the plan remeasurement, the discount rate used to measure the OPEB liability was increased from 4.4 percent at December 31, 2012 to 5.1 percent at July 1, 2013.  Assumptions regarding the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the health-care cost trend rate did not change from December 31, 2012 levels.

As a result of these changes, CMS Energy’s (including Consumers’) OPEB liability decreased by $638 million, its OPEB regulatory asset of $580 million was eliminated, and an OPEB regulatory liability of $34 million was established as of July 1, 2013.  CMS Energy’s accumulated other comprehensive loss decreased by $24 million.  CMS Energy’s (including Consumers’) OPEB cost is expected to decrease by $48 million in 2013.  Consumers’ OPEB liability decreased by $614 million, its OPEB regulatory asset of $580 million was eliminated, and an OPEB regulatory liability of $34 million was established as of July 1, 2013.  Consumers’ OPEB cost is expected to decrease by $46 million in 2013.

CMS Energy and Consumers also remeasured certain deferred tax assets as a result of the approved change to the Medicare drug program.  Effective January 2015, CMS Energy and Consumers will no longer receive Medicare Part D drug subsidies.  Accordingly, CMS Energy (including Consumers) decreased its deferred tax assets by $148 million, reduced its regulatory income tax liabilities by $144 million, and increased its income tax expense by $4 million.  Consumers decreased its deferred tax assets by $144 million, and reduced its regulatory income tax liabilities by an equal amount.