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Fair Values of Financial Instruments (Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis by Fair Value Hierarchy) (Details) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Total Fair Value [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	$ 856,050	$ 415,258
Cash and cash equivalents	897,529	1,268,545
Counterparty collateral	315,824
Assets	28,801,484	25,955,713
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	4,406,163	3,337,556
Liabilities	4,513,204	3,384,922
Total Fair Value [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	6,103	3,247
Total Fair Value [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	712
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		4,261
Total Fair Value [Member] | 2015 Notes Hedges [Member]
Assets
2015 notes hedges	107,041	43,105
Total Fair Value [Member] | 2015 Notes Embedded Derivative [Member]
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative	107,041	43,105
Total Fair Value [Member] | Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,778	53,422
Total Fair Value [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	42,925	5,154
Total Fair Value [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,194,289	1,772,025
Total Fair Value [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,306,743	3,578,323
Total Fair Value [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	91,557	105,259
Total Fair Value [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	17,233,037	14,466,772
Total Fair Value [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,971,960	2,888,113
Total Fair Value [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,735,460	357,982
Total Fair Value [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,034,476	998,508
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	897,529	1,268,545
Counterparty collateral	0
Assets	902,713	1,344,136
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | 2015 Notes Hedges [Member]
Assets
2015 notes hedges	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | 2015 Notes Embedded Derivative [Member]
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	36,928
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	4,805	5,154
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	20	33,131
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	359	378
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	856,050	415,258
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	315,824
Assets	27,897,395	24,609,765
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	107,041	47,366
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	6,103	3,247
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	712
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		4,261
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | 2015 Notes Hedges [Member]
Assets
2015 notes hedges	107,041	43,105
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | 2015 Notes Embedded Derivative [Member]
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative	107,041	43,105
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,778	16,494
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	38,120	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,194,289	1,772,025
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,306,743	3,578,323
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	91,557	105,259
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	17,233,017	14,433,641
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,970,584	2,886,301
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,735,460	357,982
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,034,117	998,130
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	0
Assets	1,376	1,812
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	4,406,163	3,337,556
Liabilities	4,406,163	3,337,556
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	0
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities		0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | 2015 Notes Hedges [Member]
Assets
2015 notes hedges	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | 2015 Notes Embedded Derivative [Member]
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,376	1,812
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	$ 0	$ 0

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Fair value of fixed index embedded derivative liabilities.

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Fair Value Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Notes Payable Embedded Derivative

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Hedge transacation whereby we have the option to receive the cash equivalent of the conversion spread on shares of our common stock based upon a strike price per share, subject to certain conversion rate adjustments in the Notes.

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- Definition

Fair value portion of probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

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-Section 50

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- Definition

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

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Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash

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Fair value before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-SubTopic 20

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Fair value as of the balance sheet date of interest rate derivative assets, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and nonhedging relationships that are recognized as assets.

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Fair value as of the balance sheet date of interest rate derivative liabilities, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and nonhedging relationships that are recognized as liabilities.

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Fair value of financial and nonfinancial obligations.

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- Definition

Fair value portion of other assets.

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