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	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets
Derivative assets	$ 180,649	$ 731,113
Cash and cash equivalents	523,614	701,514
2015 notes hedges		30,291
Counterparty collateral	30,880	206,096
Assets	36,134,310	34,124,799
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative		30,291
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	5,731,117	5,574,653
Liabilities	5,735,645	5,607,588
Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	1,492	2,778
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	4,528	2,644
Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,833	7,805
United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	37,681	138,460
United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,314,748	1,393,890
United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,760,888	3,723,309
Foreign Government Obligations [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	216,987	193,803
Corporate Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	23,459,748	21,490,292
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,556,308	1,751,345
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,941,863	2,807,620
Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,101,619	946,483
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	523,614	701,514
2015 notes hedges		0
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	529,183	705,780
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative		0
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]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1) [Member] \| Equity Securities [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	5,549	4,255
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	11
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	0	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	180,649	731,113
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
2015 notes hedges		30,291
Counterparty collateral	30,880	206,096
Assets	35,605,127	33,418,644
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative		30,291
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	0	0
Liabilities	4,528	32,935
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Interest Rate Caps [Member]
Assets
Interest rate derivative assets	1,492	2,778
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	4,528	2,644
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Equity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	7,833	7,805
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	32,132	134,205
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,314,748	1,393,890
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,760,888	3,723,309
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Foreign Government Obligations [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	216,987	193,803
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Corporate Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	23,459,728	21,490,281
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,556,308	1,750,970
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	3,941,863	2,807,620
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] \| Other Asset Backed Securities [Member] \| Fixed Maturity Securities [Member]
Assets
Available for sale securities	1,101,619	946,483
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Assets
Derivative assets	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
2015 notes hedges		0
Counterparty collateral	0	0
Assets	0	375
Liabilities
2015 notes embedded conversion derivative		0
Fixed index annuities - embedded derivatives	5,731,117	5,574,653
Liabilities	5,731,117	5,574,653
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]
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative liabilities	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] \| Equity Securities [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	0	375
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

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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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

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

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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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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Cash Equivalents

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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. Includes assets elected not to be offset. Excludes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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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.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

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-Topic 825

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-Section 50

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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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Fair value portion of other assets.

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