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Reinsurance (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Life Insurance Retention Per Individual Life | $ 8,000 |
Reinsurance ceded receivables | 683,972 | $ 637,859
Reinsurance Claims Recoverables | 242,000 | 233,700
Claims Recoverable From Retrocessionaires Past Due | 4,000 | 2,000
Statutory Financial Reinsurance | 10,800,000 | 8,800,000
Statutory Reserves Related To Financial Requirements | 1,935,000 | 1,656,900
Assets Held-in-trust | 893,800 | 932,600
Benefit Of RGA Subsidiaries [Member] |  |
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items] |  |
Assets Held-in-trust | 2,372,100 | 1,638,000
Benefit Of Third Parties [Member] |  |
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items] |  |
Assets Held-in-trust | $ 12,135,300 | $ 10,535,700
AM Best, A- Rating [Member] |  |
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items] |  |
Retrocession Pool Participants Minimum AM Best Rating | “A- (excellent)” | “A- (excellent)”

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- Definition Represents the amount of claims paid by the company and recoverable from retrocessionaires which is contractually past due in excess of 90 days. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The maximum amount retained insurance coverage per individual life. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The known and estimated amount recoverable as of the balance sheet date from reinsurers for claims paid or incurred by the ceding insurer and associated claims settlement expenses, including estimated amounts for claims incurred but not reported, and policy benefits, net of any related valuation allowance. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Statutory financial reinsurance, as measured by pre-tax statutory surplus, provided to other insurance companies under financial reinsurance transactions to assist ceding companies in meeting applicable regulatory requirements. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of statutory reserves related to reinsurance treaties that provide the ceding company the right to request the reinsurer to place assets in trust for their benefit to support their reserve credits, in the event of a downgrade of the reinsurer's ratings to specified levels, generally non-investment grade levels, or if minimum levels of financial condition are not maintained. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The total amount of cash and securities held by third party trustees pursuant to terms of debt instruments or other agreements as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, which can be used by the trustee only to pay the noncurrent portion of specified obligations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 + Details
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- Definition Description of ceding entity's credit risk concentration associated with reinsurance receivables and prepaid reinsurance premiums. Includes, but is not limited to, concentration of activity, region, or economic characteristics. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 825 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28088331&loc=SL29635902-196195 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13537-108611 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13531-108611 + Details
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- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount, after valuation allowance, recoverable under reinsurance contracts including premium paid under reinsurance contracts. Examples include, but are not limited to, settled and unsettled claims, incurred but not reported losses, loss adjustment expense, premium paid, policy benefits and policy reserves. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6824-158387 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 310 -Section 45 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6485522&loc=d3e21409-158489 Reference 3: 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.(a),6) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 + Details
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