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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	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Total Fair Value [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	$ 790,396	$ 856,050
Cash and cash equivalents	679,172	897,529
Counterparty collateral	275,558	315,824
Assets	30,159,932	28,801,484
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	4,755,913	4,406,163
Liabilities	4,843,243	4,513,204
Total Fair Value [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	4,926	6,103
Total Fair Value [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets		712
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	690
Total Fair Value [Member] | 2015 Notes Hedges [Member]
Assets
2015 notes hedges	86,640	107,041
Total Fair Value [Member] | 2015 Notes Embedded Conversion Derivative [Member]
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative	86,640	107,041
Total Fair Value [Member] | Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,767	7,778
Total Fair Value [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	43,300	42,925
Total Fair Value [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,299,454	1,194,289
Total Fair Value [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,437,313	3,306,743
Total Fair Value [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	144,023	91,557
Total Fair Value [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	18,441,187	17,233,037
Total Fair Value [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,928,555	1,971,960
Total Fair Value [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,976,589	1,735,460
Total Fair Value [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,045,052	1,034,476
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	679,172	897,529
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	684,419	902,713
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 Conversion 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	0
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	4,841	4,805
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	37	20
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	369	359
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	790,396	856,050
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	275,558	315,824
Assets	29,474,433	27,897,395
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	87,330	107,041
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	4,926	6,103
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets		712
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	690
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | 2015 Notes Hedges [Member]
Assets
2015 notes hedges	86,640	107,041
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | 2015 Notes Embedded Conversion Derivative [Member]
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative	86,640	107,041
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Equity Securities, Available For Sale [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,767	7,778
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	38,459	38,120
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,299,454	1,194,289
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,437,313	3,306,743
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Foreign Government Obligations [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	144,023	91,557
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Corporate Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	18,441,150	17,233,017
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,927,475	1,970,584
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,976,589	1,735,460
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] | Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,044,683	1,034,117
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	1,080	1,376
Liabilities
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	4,755,913	4,406,163
Liabilities	4,755,913	4,406,163
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 Conversion 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	1,080	1,376
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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- Definition

Fair value of fixed index embedded derivative liabilities.

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No definition available.

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

+ References

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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.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

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- Definition

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

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 1

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- Definition

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.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash Equivalents

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- Definition

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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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 20

-Section 55

-Paragraph 7

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28370219&loc=SL20226000-175313



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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-Section 50

-Paragraph 4B

-Subparagraph (a),(c)

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- Definition

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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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

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-Paragraph 10

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- Definition

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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-Publisher FASB

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-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 10

-Subparagraph (a)

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- Definition

Fair value of financial and nonfinancial obligations.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

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- Definition

Fair value portion of other assets.

+ References

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