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Reinsurance and Policy Provisions (Amounts Ceded to Equitrust and Athene, Impact on Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2016 | Mar. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Annuity product charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 200,494 | $ 173,579 | $ 136,168
Change in fair value of derivatives | $ 661,993 | $ 362,525 | $ 266,820 | $ 386,533 | $ 95,391 | $ 103,794 | $ 39,099 | $ (74,065) | 1,677,871 | 164,219 | (336,146)
Interest sensitive and index product benefits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,023,668 | 725,472 | 968,053
Change in fair value of embedded derivatives |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 919,735 | 543,465 | (464,698)
Other operating costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 111,691 | 102,231 | 96,218
Coinsurance deposits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (6,597) | (1,317,555) | (80,777)
Coinsurance Agreements, EquiTrust and Athene [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Annuity product charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6,458 | 5,366 | 5,427
Change in fair value of derivatives |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 94,382 | 18,446 | (14,360)
Coinsurance, revenues included in consolidated statement of operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100,840 | 23,812 | (8,933)
Interest sensitive and index product benefits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 177,332 | 93,487 | 88,923
Change in fair value of embedded derivatives |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 35,561 | 23,848 | (22,616)
Other operating costs and expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 19,877 | 24,039 | 9,922
Coinsurance, benefits and expenses included in the consolidated statement of operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 232,770 | 141,374 | 76,229
Annuity deposits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (387,280) | (1,736,054) | (471,822)
Cash payments to policyholders |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 380,683 | 418,499 | 391,045
Coinsurance deposits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ (6,597) | $ (1,317,555) | $ (80,777)

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- Definition Item represents annuity deposits received under coinsurance agreements during the reporting period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Item represents benefits and expenses included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as a result of coinsurance agreements with Equitrst Life Insurance Company and Athene Life Re Ltd. Company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Item represents revenues included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as a result of coinsurance agreements with Equitrst Life Insurance Company and Athene Life Re Ltd. Company. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition This element includes index credits on fixed index policies, interest allocated to policies that provide a guaranteed yield, and living income benefit rider credits to policies that the policyholder has elected to add to those policies. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Cash received from reinsurer for payments to policyholders for policy that were ceded to reinsurer. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of increase (decrease) in the fair value of derivatives recognized in the income statement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4A -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84234895&loc=SL5618551-113959 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -Subparagraph (a),(c),(d),(e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84234895&loc=SL5624171-113959 + 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 Net Increase or Decrease in the fair value of the embedded derivative or group of embedded derivatives included in earnings in the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84234895&loc=SL5624171-113959 + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) during the reporting period in the amount of benefits the ceding insurer expects to recover on insurance policies ceded to other insurance entities as of the balance sheet date for all guaranteed benefit types. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585 + Details
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- Definition Income from agency and brokerage operations (includes sales of annuities and supplemental contracts); service charges, commissions, and fees from the sale of insurance and related services; and management fees from separate accounts, deferred annuities, and universal life products. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 225 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.13(c),(d)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882 + Details
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- Definition The total amount of other operating cost and expense items that are associated with the entity's normal revenue producing operation. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688 + Details
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- Details
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