Note 7 - Investments in Marketable Securities (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]

	June 30, 2012				December 31, 2011
(in thousands)	Amortized Cost		Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Fair Value
Investments available for sale:
Marketable equity securities	$	30,176	$	97,602	$	30,176	$	85,051
Restricted investments available for sale:
Corporate debt securities		32,446		33,364		33,426		34,074
Commercial mortgage–backed securities		29,711		30,593		33,275		33,904
U.S. Treasury securities		14,216		14,571		7,778		8,070
State and municipal securities		8,435		8,910		7,270		7,577
	$	114,984	$	185,040	$	111,925	$	168,676

Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	June 30, 2012						December 31, 2011
	Shares		Cost		Fair Value		Shares		Cost		Fair Value
NHI Common Stock		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	83,032		1,630,642	$	24,734	$	71,716

Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]

	June 30, 2012				December 31, 2011
(in thousands)	Cost		Fair Value		Cost		Fair Value
Maturities:
Within 1 year	$	7,704	$	7,775	$	5,280	$	5,298
1to   5 years		54,256		55,588		44,923		45,734
6to   10 years		21,998		23,180		21,993		22,768
Over 10 years		850		895		9,553		9,825
	$	84,808	$	87,438	$	81,749	$	83,625