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Reinsurance | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Reinsurance [Abstract] |
Reinsurance Text Block | Note 7 R EINSURANCE Retrocession reinsurance treaties do not relieve the Company from its obligations to direct writing companies. Failure of retrocessionaires to honor their obligations could result in losses to the Company. Consequently, allowances would be established for amounts deemed uncollectible. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, no allowances were deemed necessary. The Company regularly evaluates the financial condition of the insurance companies from which it assumes and to which it cedes reinsurance.
The effect of reinsurance on net premiums is as follows (dollars in thousands):
Years ended December 31, | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Direct | $ | 3,784 |  | $ | 2,590 |  | $ | 2,669
Reinsurance assumed |  | 8,228,811 |  |  | 7,701,594 |  |  | 7,198,219
Reinsurance ceded |  | (325,999) |  |  | (368,497) |  |  | (541,208)
| Net premiums | $ | 7,906,596 |  | $ | 7,335,687 |  | $ | 6,659,680
The effect of reinsurance on claims and other policy benefits as follows (dollars in thousands):
Years ended December 31, | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Direct | $ | 3,694 |  | $ | 4,179 |  | $ | 4,062
Reinsurance assumed |  | 6,912,942 |  |  | 6,472,041 |  |  | 5,877,153
Reinsurance ceded |  | (250,637) |  |  | (251,037) |  |  | (334,060)
| Net claims and other policy benefits | $ | 6,665,999 |  | $ | 6,225,183 |  | $ | 5,547,155
At December 31, 2012 and 2011, there were no reinsurance ceded receivables associated with a single reinsurer with a carrying value in excess of 5% of total assets.
The effect of reinsurance on life insurance in force is shown in the following schedule (dollars in millions):
Life Insurance In Force: | Direct |  | Assumed |  | Ceded |  | Net |  | Assumed/Net %
December 31, 2012 | $ | 76 |  | $ | 2,927,573 |  | $ | 38,048 |  | $ | 2,889,601 |  | 101.31 | %
December 31, 2011 |  | 76 |  |  | 2,664,353 |  |  | 39,987 |  |  | 2,624,442 |  | 101.52 |
December 31, 2010 |  | 74 |  |  | 2,540,317 |  |  | 42,582 |  |  | 2,497,809 |  | 101.70 |
At December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, the Company provided approximately $6.3 billion and $4.3 billion of financial reinsurance, as measured by pre-tax statutory surplus, risk based capital and other financial reinsurance structures, to other insurance companies under financial reinsurance transactions to assist ceding companies in meeting applicable regulatory requirements. Generally, such financial reinsurance is provided by the Company committing cash or assuming insurance liabilities, which are collateralized by future profits on the reinsured business. The Company earns a fee based on the amount of net outstanding financial reinsurance. Reinsurance agreements, whether facultative or automatic, may provide for recapture rights on the part of the ceding company. Recapture rights permit the ceding company to reassume all or a portion of the risk formerly ceded to the reinsurer after an agreed-upon period of time, generally 10 years, or in some cases due to changes in the financial condition or ratings of the reinsurer. Recapture of business previously ceded does not affect premiums ceded prior to the recapture of such business, but would reduce premiums in subsequent periods. Additionally, some treaties give the ceding company the right to request the Company to place assets in trust for their benefit to support their reserve credits, in the event of a downgrade of the Company's ratings to specified levels, generally non-investment grade levels, or if minimum levels of financial condition are not maintained. As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, these treaties had approximately $1,522.1 million and $1,277.2 million, respectively, in statutory reserves. Assets placed in trust continue to be owned by the Company, but their use is restricted based on the terms of the trust agreement. Securities with an amortized cost of $2,140.7 million and $1,534.0 million were held in trust to satisfy collateral requirements for reinsurance business for the benefit of certain RGA subsidiaries at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. In addition, the Company's collateral finance facility has asset in trust requirements. See Note 1 4 – “Collateral Finance Facility” for additional information. Securities with an amortized cost of $7,549.0 million and $2,144.6 million, as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, were held in trust to satisfy collateral requirements under certain third-party reinsurance treaties. Additionally, under certain conditions, RGA may be obligated to move reinsurance from one RGA subsidiary company to another or make payments under the treaty. These conditions include change in control or ratings of the subsidiary, insolvency, nonperformance under a treaty, or loss of reinsurance license of such subsidiary.

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- Definition The entire disclosure pertaining to the existence, magnitude and information about insurance that has been ceded to or assumed from another insurance company, including the methodologies and assumptions used in determining recorded amounts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 605 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 605 -Section 55 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6588590&loc=d3e27795-158548 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Article 7 -Section 03 -Paragraph 13 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 310 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6485557&loc=d3e21549-158491 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 113 -Paragraph 120 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 92-5 -Paragraph 19 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 605 -Section 55 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6588590&loc=d3e27703-158548 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 113 -Paragraph 27 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 605 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27374-158547 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.6,13) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6811-158387 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Article 7 -Section 03 -Paragraph 6 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6816-158387 + Details
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