The Compensation and Talent Development Committee has discontinued the grant of stock options because the Company believes that performance shares better reflect our compensation philosophy. The Company granted stock options to certain executive officers, including some NEOs, in connection with the initial public offering of our Class B shares in 2007. Additionally, the Company granted stock options to Mr. García-Rodríguez and other two employees in 2009 and 2010, respectively, as part of their respective compensation packages. Currently, all stock options that were granted have been exercised.
Pension benefits
We sponsor a non-contributory retirement program for certain employees of our Company. The pension plan covers the NEOs annual salary set forth in the Summary Compensation Table. Our supplemental retirement program covers benefits in excess of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) limits that apply to the non-contributory retirement program, which is a tax-qualified program under IRC rules. The following is a summary of the provisions of our defined-benefit pension plans.
Non-contributory defined-benefit pension plan. Employees age 21 or older with one year of service with a BCBSA organization who were hired by the Company or its subsidiaries on or before December 19, 2006 in the case of union employees (on or before September 30, 2007, in the case of non-union employees) were eligible to participate in our non-contributory defined-benefit pension plan. Union employees hired after December 19, 2006 were not eligible to participate. Non-union employees hired after September 30, 2007 were not eligible to participate. Effective January 31, 2017, the Company froze the accumulation of benefits under the non-contributory defined-benefit pension plan.
The average earning calculated is based on the highest average annual rate of pay from any five consecutive calendar year periods out of the last ten years. Each year’s earnings are limited by IRC Section 401(a)(17) and 415. For 2020, the pension earnings are limited to $285,000.
From July 1, 2012 through January 31, 2017, the accrued benefit was calculated using the following formula: 1% of final average earnings multiplied by plan service (defined as full and partial years of employment with the Company or any of its subsidiaries) up to 30 years, minus any benefit accrued under a prior BCBSA plan. Previously, this benefit was calculated on a 2% basis of the final average earnings.
Normal retirement. To be eligible for normal retirement benefits, termination of employment must occur after both (i) the attainment of age 65 and (ii) after five years of participation in the plan. The accrued benefit is payable at the normal retirement date.
Early retirement. To be eligible for early retirement benefits, termination of employment must occur after both (i) the attainment of age 55 and (ii) five years of participation in the plan. The benefit will be the accrued benefit at normal retirement date minus a reduction factor for each year prior to age 62. There is no reduction if retirement occurs on or after age 62.
The plan also has a special early retirement provision. To be eligible, the termination of employment must occur after attaining 30 years of benefit service and election of immediate benefit commencement.
Forms of payment. The standard form of payment for a single participant is a straight life annuity; for a married participant, a reduced qualified joint and survivor annuity begins at the benefit commencement date, with 50% of the benefit continuing to the surviving spouse upon the earlier death of the participant. In lieu of the standard form of payment, a participant may elect, with the proper spousal consent, one of the optional forms of annuity payment or, alternatively, a single lump sum payment.
Supplemental retirement plan. Employees with non-contributory retirement program benefits limited by the IRC maximum compensation and benefit limits are eligible to participate in a supplemental retirement plan. The accrued benefit is calculated by the same formula used in the defined-benefit plan using the amount of salary in excess of the IRC limit.
Normal retirement, early retirement, and special early retirement provisions are the same as provided for the non-contributory defined-benefit plan, described above.