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REINSURANCE | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract] |
REINSURANCE | In the ordinary course of business, we purchase treaty and facultative reinsurance to reduce exposure to significant losses. Facultative reinsurance provides coverage for all or a portion of the losses incurred for a single policy and we separately negotiate each facultative contract. Treaty reinsurance provides coverage for a specified type or category of risks. Our treaty reinsurance agreements provide this coverage on either an excess of loss or a proportional basis. Excess of loss covers provide a contractually set amount of coverage after a specified loss amount has been reached. Under proportional reinsurance, we cede an agreed proportion of the premiums and the losses and loss adjustment expenses on the policies we underwrite. Treaty reinsurance can provide us with coverage for a number of lines of business within one contract. In contrast, proportional covers provide us with a specified percentage of coverage from the first dollar of loss. All of these reinsurance covers provide us the right to recover a portion of specified losses and loss expenses from reinsurers. However, to the extent that our reinsurers do not meet their obligations under these agreements due to solvency issues, contractual disputes or other reasons, we remain liable. We predominantly cede our business to reinsurers rated A- or better by A.M. Best. Gross and net premiums written and earned were as follows:
| Year ended December 31, | 2016 |  | 2015 |  | 2014 |
|  | Premiums written |  | Premiums earned |  | Premiums written |  | Premiums earned |  | Premiums written |  | Premiums earned |
| Gross | $ | 4,970,208 |  |  | $ | 4,762,394 |  |  | $ | 4,603,730 |  |  | $ | 4,567,953 |  |  | $ | 4,711,519 |  |  | $ | 4,652,345 |  |
| Ceded | (1,217,234 | ) |  | (1,056,769 | ) |  | (929,064 | ) |  | (881,536 | ) |  | (804,544 | ) |  | (781,346 | ) |
| Net | $ | 3,752,974 |  |  | $ | 3,705,625 |  |  | $ | 3,674,666 |  |  | $ | 3,686,417 |  |  | $ | 3,906,975 |  |  | $ | 3,870,999 |  |
During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recognized ceded losses and loss expenses of $556 million (2015: $577 million; 2014: $401 million). Our provision for unrecoverable reinsurance was $20 million at December 31, 2016 (2015: $18 million). At December 31, 2016, 96.7% (2015: 96.2%) of our gross reinsurance recoverables were collectible from reinsurers rated A- or better by A.M. Best.

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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 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6816-158387 Reference 2: 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 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.6,13) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 4: 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 5: 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 6: 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=34714010&loc=d3e27795-158548 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=34714010&loc=d3e27703-158548 Reference 8: 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 + Details
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